Leicester City manager Dean Smith has bemoaned the fact his side must play Newcastle United on a MONDAY night. The Foxes visit St James' Park at the beginning of next week after their relegation rivals have all played days earlier.
Leicester could be five points from safety by the time they kick-off against the Magpies, while Newcastle may have already secured a place in the top four by beating Brighton and Liverpool losing to Aston Villa.
Smith would rather an easier fixture with his side's top flight status on the line and it appears the former Aston Villa boss would prefer the crucial Premier League clash not to be taking place on a Monday.
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"Of course I do (believe Leicester can survive)," said Smith after his side's Liverpool thrashing. "I don’t like playing Monday nights, I don’t think it’s right. We'll certainly know what we'll have to do at St James’ Park next week."
Before Newcastle even contemplate facing Smith's side, there is the small matter of high-flying Brighton to deal with. The Seagulls flock to the north east on Thursday attempting to keep their own hopes of Champions League football alive, while putting a spanner in the works of Newcastle's challenge.
Thankfully two of Newcastle's three remaining fixtures are at St James' Park, where they have enjoyed many a stellar performance this season. Eddie Howe knows all too well about the importance of the home venue.
"Every time we play at home is an opportunity to win because of the conditions, the arena, the support, the confidence," Howe told reporters. "We have done really well at home this season. We love to play there. We go into those two games with belief that we can get the job done, but it's never that easy."
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