Leicester vs Coventry LIVE commentary: Promotion favourites start bid to secure Premier League return – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Leicester City start their bid to return to the Premier League this weekend against bitter rivals Coventry.

The Foxes start the Championship season as the clear favourites to win promotion after a big summer recruitment drive.

James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have left and they have used the funds to sign proven Premier League players like Harry Winks and Conor Coady, while keeping Jamie Vardy, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi.

Plus, they have a new manager in Enzo Maresca, who was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and the club’s former Under-23s boss.

Meanwhile, Coventry will look to launch another promotion challenge of their own after cruelly missing out on playing in the Premier League this season.

Mark Robins’ men were beaten by Luton on penalties in the play-off final, so will hope to go one step further this time.

Leicester vs Coventry: Date and how to follow

This Championship fixture is set for Sunday, August 6.

Kick-off at the King Power Stadium is scheduled for 12pm.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from Leicester, with Faye Carruthers serving as your presenter.

Commentary will then come from Joe Shennan and former West Ham forward Dean Ashton.

talkSPORT.com will have all of the best reaction from the East Midlands.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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Leicester vs Coventry: Team news

Leicester XI: Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Vestergaard, Doyle; Winks, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall; McAteer, Vardy, Mavididi.

Subs: Stolarczyk, Justin, Castagne, Souttar, Choudhury, Praet, Albrighton, Daka, Iheanacho.

Coventry XI: Ben Wilson; Bobby Thomas, Kyle McFadzean, Joel Latibeaudiere; Josh Eccles, Gustavo Hamer, Ben Sheaf, Jay Dasilva; Kasey Palmer; Ellis Simms, Matty Godden.

Subs: Brad Collins, Luis Bink, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Liam Kelly, Jake Bidwell, Haji Wright, Milan van Ewijk, Ryan Howley, Justin Obikwu.

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Leicester vs Coventry: What has been said?

Despite being thrashed by Liverpool 4-0 last week, Maresca was pleased with Leicester‘s performance.

Speaking after the game, he said: “The team started very, very well in the first half an hour. We were playing good football from the back, creating chances, finding solutions, finding the space.

“Not only in the first half an hour, but also in the second half, the team always tried to find solutions to play, and it even surprised me because I was sure that the players and the team are getting better, but I didn’t expect to see the way we played in the first half an hour. It was very good.

“Then they are one of the best teams in terms of transition. We concede from that transition. The result is always important, for sure, of course, but it was important to take a look at the players, to see how they take on the idea, and they were good.”

Leicester vs Coventry: Match facts

• This will be the first league meeting between Leicester and Coventry since the 2011-12 Championship campaign, with the Foxes doing the league double over the Sky Blues that season.
• Leicester have lost just one of their last 16 league games against Coventry (W8 D7) with that defeat coming in the Championship back in February 2008.
• Outside of the top-flight, Leicester have won their opening league game in five of the last six seasons, losing the other in 2010-11 against Crystal Palace (3-2).
• Coventry avoided defeat in their final nine away league games last term (W4 D5), conceding just four goals across those nine away matches.
• This is Leicester’s first Championship campaign since winning the league in 2013-14 under Nigel Pearson. They are the first side to have won the Premier League and then go on to be relegated since Blackburn Rovers (won title in 1995, relegated in 1999), who drew 0-0 with Port Vale in their opening game in 1999-00.