Adams warning for Foxes

Leicester boss Micky Adams has warned his side that struggling Ipswich are still capable of turning them over on Boxing Day.

Both sides had high hopes of making an instant return to the Premiership following relegation last season but while Leicester have stayed hot on the heels of First Division leaders Portsmouth, Ipswich have lacked consistency.

Joe Royle’s side are languishing in 18th place as they travel to the Walkers Stadium but Adams is wary of the threat of they can pose.

The Tractor Boys thrashed Leicester 6-1 earlier in the season and Adams admits he was also impressed by their performance in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Portsmouth.

He said: “I am surprised that they are languishing. I watched them against Portsmouth on and I personally feel that they should have won the game and they will be disappointed that they didn’t.

“Even though they are in the lower reaches of the league they are not a side playing without confidence. If we sit back and let Ipswich play then they are more than capable of turning us over.

“I don’t feel that Ipswich are out of the promotion picture quite yet.”

Ipswich’s result at Fratton Park allowed the Foxes to stay within three points of Pompey but Adams is more concerned about the clutch of teams behind them, particularly Nottingham Forest, Norwich and Sheffield United, who will not give up pursuit.

He told the club’s official website, www.lcfc.co.uk: “We can afford slip-ups because we have got a nine-point gap on the third team – but we don’t want any slip-ups as this may give encouragement to the teams around us.

“Every fixture between now and the end of the season is a big fixture.”

Adams could have full-back Callum Davidson back after battling back to fitness from a hernia problem. But Frank Sinclair is missing through suspension and Gerry Taggart is very doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Ipswich have doubts over the fitness of Tommy Miller, Chris Makin, Jim Magilton and Fabian Wilnis.

Pompey’s charge towards the Premiership has slowed a little in recent weeks following three successive draws. Harry Redknapp’s side still hold a 12-point advantage over third-placed Forest but the former West Ham boss insists his team cannot afford to ease up too much more.

Redknapp said: “Palace is another hard test and despite their injury problems they have had a good win at Rotherham on Sunday where they showed some clinical finishing and a very solid defence.

“You have to remember that Rotherham scored six at Burnley the week before.”

Palace will have Danny Granville back as they look to follow up the win over Rotherham with another win but top-scorer Andrew Johnson is out with a broken toe.

Norwich, who beat Walsall on Saturday, will hope to keep up their promotion bid at the expense of struggling Brighton.

Little has gone right for the Seagulls since winning promotion and Worthington goes into the match at Carrow Road confident of another victory.

“We beat them away from home earlier this season which is a huge plus for us,” he told the club’s official website, www.canaries.co.uk.

“But they have changed managers since then and have brought in one or two new players with a bit more steel.

“The new manager has made them fitter and stronger and we need to compete with that. But our fitness levels are magnificent at the moment and after Saturday’s win and second half performance, let’s just hope we can go and deliver on Thursday.”

Brighton’s fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday face a similarly tough Boxing Day task as they take on Forest at Hillsborough, although they will be bolstered by the loan signing of Lee Bradbury.

The deal will help compensate for the loss of Lloyd Owusu, who yesterday underwent an operation on a minor problem to his left knee.

Bradbury has been out of first team action for just over a year because of injury and Pompey manager Harry Redknapp told the club’s website, www.pompeyfc.co.uk: “Lee has been getting stronger all the time and some competitive football will do him the world of good.”

Sheffield United have a doubt over striker Carl Asaba (calf) but midfielder Stuart McCall is back from suspension for the trip to Walsall.

Elsewhere, Wolves head to Burnley and Reading go to Gary McAllister’s Coventry.

There are home Boxing Day matches for Bradford, who host Stoke, Derby, who play Grimsby, and Millwall, Preston and Wimbledon, who take on Gillingham, Rotherham and Watford respectively.