Gillingham vs Leicester predictions: Kelechi can KO Kent club

- Kelechi Iheanacho has scored 15 goals in 21 career FA Cup appearances, including 5 in his last 5 
- Gillingham are bottom of League two with no clean sheet in their last seven games 
- Recommended bet: Iheanacho to score anytime

Gillingham can enjoy a pressure-free distraction from their League Two plight when they entertain Premier League Leicester in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon

The Gills occupy 92nd place in the English professional ladder and have lost five of their last six games in all competitions ahead of this visit from the Foxes.

The only wins Neil Harris' side have managed in the past two months have been in the cup at MEMS Priestfield Stadium, where Gillingham eliminated AFC Fylde and Dagenham and Redbridge after replays.

Leicester were looking good prior to the top-flight clubs' break for the World Cup, but have lost three league games in a row since the resumption.

Brendan Rodgers will demand his 2021 FA Cup winners get back to winning ways and build some momentum ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Newcastle next week.

Team news

Gillingham's new signing Tom Nichols is cup-tied after featuring for former club Crawley Town earlier in the competition and the striker will now have to wait until next week to make his debut.

Midfielder Ben Reeves and forward Lewis Walker both remain out due to injuries, but Harris was able to recall striker Mikael Mandron and club captain Stuart O'Keefe against Stevenage last weekend.

Glenn Morris returned in goal for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury against Northampton while Callum Harriott was named among the substitutes.

Elkan Baggott was initially named on the bench but pulled out in the warm-up due to an ankle issue, with Ryan Law taking his place with the other subs.

For Leicester, Rodgers will make a raft of changes to give key players a break and some squad men a chance to stake a claim for a regular place.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Nampalys Mendy, Caglar Soyuncu and Marc Albrighton were among those on the bench against Fulham in midweek that are in line to step up.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was originally named in Leicester's starting line-up on Tuesday before the midfielder suffered an injury in the pre-match warm-up.

James Maddison, Dennis Praet, Ryan Bertrand and Ricardo Pereira are still unavailable while James Justin is out for the rest of the season and Jonny Evans is absent until February.

But Patson Daka's hamstring injury is not as bad as was first feared when he came off against Liverpool and the Foxes striker is already back in training.

The stats

Gillingham have never faced Leicester in the FA Cup before, but the two clubs did meet in the 1963-64 League Cup with the Foxes advancing past the Gills 3-1 in the fourth round before going on to lift the trophy.

The two clubs last met in the 2004-05 Championship season, with Leicester winning 2-0 at home and away.

The Foxes have yet to recover any points from losing positions so far in this Premier League season.

The Gills, however, have led in only three of their 23 League Two matches this term.

Prediction

The Foxes have been the victims in two of the 10 biggest FA Cup shocks ever and will be guarding against any slip-up in Kent this weekend.

Rodgers has enough quality in reserve to ensure his side are not subject to another giant-killing act with Iheanacho potentially crucial to his plans.

The Nigeria international has scored 15 goals in 21 career FA Cup appearances, including five in his last five outings in the competition.

Iheanacho, who also scored on his only Premier League start this season, is available to back at 4/5 to score anytime with LiveScore Bet.