Town have named the same 16 for Saturday's home game with Leicester which beat Sheffield United 2-0 last weekend. Both injury doubts, strikers Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi, have been declared fit enough to play.

Kuqi suffered a broken nose against the Blades, while Bent took a bad knock to his leg in a challenge with United's Chris Morgan.

Had the England U21 had to sit out the game, Dean Bowditch would have come in for his first league start since the Sunderland game in November.

Town's only long-term injury remains Drissa Diallo, but the Guinean is close to a return to action and may play in Monday's reserve game at home to Leicester City.

Loanee defender David Unsworth will make his home debut in what is likely to be an unchanged Town defence.

Manager Royle may make a change in midfield where five players - Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Darren Currie, Ian Westlake and Kevin Horlock - are vying for four positions.

Horlock was on the bench at Bramall Lane but came on soon after the break for Currie.

Despite the Blues being five points clear at the top of the Championship, the Town boss says thoughts of promotion are being kept to a minimum: "If we start thinking and talking too much about the 'P-word' we'll forget the job in hand.

"All we can think of at the moment is we have a very tough fixture against Leicester on Saturday.

"I would be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed of the Premiership, but I dreamed about it at the start of the season.

"I have great belief in these players. We're in a great position but we're not going to start talking about it because we're nowhere near. The minute we take our eye off the ball, I'm sure we'll know about it."

The visit of Leicester sees two former Blues back in Town, although both James Scowcroft and Chris Makin may find themselves watching the game from the bench.

Scowcroft, who TWTD understands is in line to become a close season Town signing should the Blues go up, is likely to receive a good reception from his old supporters. Makin, however, might not get quite the same welcome after his 'midnight flit' last summer.

New Leicester manager Craig Levein is waiting on Gareth Williams who has a hamstring injury but is not hopeful that the midfielder will be fit to face Town.

Danny Tiatto, who played under Joe Royle when with Manchester City, is also a concern after a long trip back from Australia's international in South Africa. The combative midfielder has also had hamstring problems of late.

The Foxes' only other worry is recent signing Alan Maybury. The defender, who joined from Hearts after Craig Levein took over as manager at the Walkers Stadium, has flu but is expected to play.

Levein says he could bring in veteran Dion Dublin and former Rangers man Stephen Hughes: "Dion might be involved on Saturday and that is something that we have to look at.

"He has been very patient and a bit unfortunate to miss out because he was one of our better players before we decided to rest him. Since then we have had a reasonable run, but he is very much in my mind ahead of the weekend.

"We could possibly bring Stephen Hughes into the side on Saturday. He is a little bit away where we would like him to be with regard to fitness, but he is a young lad and he is naturally reasonably fit, so that is something we will consider."

Saturday's referee is Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire who has shown 61 yellow cards and two red in 23 games this season. Earlier in the season he was the official who took control of Town's 2-2 draw at Watford.

Squad: Bent, Bowditch, Currie, Davis, De Vos, Horlock, Karbassiyoon, Kuqi, Magilton, Miller, Naylor, Price, Richards, Unsworth, Westlake, Wilnis.

Photo: Action Images

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