The stage has been set. We’re just a few minutes away from kick-off!

Enzo Maresca has opened up about the bond he has formed with his Leicester players last season, thinking about the night they burst into his house to throw a party at 2 a.m. after winning the championship title. The Italian explained: “It was probably the best gift I got last season when we got promoted and around two in the morning the whole team arrived at my house. I was watching the match (QPR vs) Leeds and when it finished all the staff arrived. And later, very late, the players arrived. They could have been in different places to celebrate, but they decided to come to my house. As a player I was lucky to win things, but I never thought about going to the manager’s house.”

Looking ahead to this afternoon’s match, he said: “I will be grateful to the club, the players and the fans. Because it was a fantastic season. I have no control over how they will receive me. But I can control how I receive them.”

Jamie Vardy is back in Leicester’s starting line-up today after recovering from a back problem. Enzo Maresca praised his former number 9 ahead of this afternoon’s match, claiming he is the best striker of his generation. Maresca said: “Vardy is fantastic and people don’t realize how good he is. I know England have been very lucky with strikers like Kane, Rooney and many others, but if you ask me he has been the best.

“He can do a lot of things, like coming from behind and finishing, but the best thing for me is his open mind. Last year he changed the way he played by coming over, linking the game and he still wants to learn. But of course he still has the one thing that is hardest to find, which is scoring goals. He can be out for a week, without training, and play on Saturday or Sunday and then he is the one who scores.”

One Chelsea fan has got in touch to say how happy they are with the club’s progress this season. However, they are not counting Leicester today…

“#3 on the table is something that we, the Chelsea fans (yes, we are not extinct yet) have not been used to for a while. Our goal should be to be counted as favorite for the top 4 and return to UCL by May 25th.

“Leicester are not a serious threat, but who saw the miracle of Forest when the season started? Everything is possible. We can win this 1-4 or lose 5-0. We are Chelsea!”

Also today in the Premier League…

• Fulham vs Wolves

• Everton vs Brentford

• Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

• Bournemouth vs Brighton

• Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

• Manchester City vs Tottenham

Leicester also suffered a serious injury this week, with promising winger Abdul Fatawu ruled out for the remainder of the season. The 20-year-old tore his cruciate ligament while playing for Ghana during the international break.

Manager Steve Cooper said: “He’s a young player and having an ACL injury can be quite common, it’s part of football, but it’s still a serious injury. For this to happen at a young age is a blow to him and a blow to us. We now need to support him in every way possible to ensure his rehabilitation is as smooth and productive as possible. We hope he can come back as a stronger player and person.”

James’ injury nightmare

Chelsea full-back Reece James took to Instagram on Thursday after it was announced he had suffered another injury setback. He wrote: “This message is for the people who understand and respect what I’m going through… I really appreciate you, your support and kind words go further than you could ever imagine. And to say something about me: I’m doing well, I’m doing better and I’m also doing worse. Accepted a new challenge that lay before us. Eventually I’ll get over it. Against all odds.”

James has endured a torrid time with injuries over the past five years. He was on the sidelines for seven months after suffering a hamstring injury last season. The Chelsea captain has also suffered blows to his knee, ankle and thigh over the years.

His latest injury is his eighth hamstring problem in four years.

Reece James is not part of Chelsea’s squad today. The full-back suffered another hamstring injury this week, but Enzo Maresca has played down concerns about a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Chelsea manager said on Thursday: “We only have one injured player and that is Reece, who unfortunately felt something small in training two days ago and we don’t want to take any risks this weekend.

“It’s a hamstring and muscle problem. We’ll see, we’re not sure for how long (we want him fit for longer). This is not happening yet, but we hope it will happen soon. He is away this weekend, but hopefully he can be back soon. It is probably difficult that he can be available for the Conference League (next Thursday), but hopefully soon.”

I want to hear from you this afternoon! Feel free to message me with score predictions, opinions, thoughts, feelings and all that jazz. Will Enzo Maresca be outwitted by his former team? (sorry, not sorry for the pun) Or will he get another win under his belt at the King Power?

Also let me know if you dare to watch Storm Bert football today…

Weather warnings are in force across England today amid the arrival of Storm Bert. Some EFL matches scheduled for this afternoon have already been postponed, including the Championship match between Blackburn and Portsmouth and Accrington Stanley’s trip to Bradford in League Two.

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