Goals from Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Abdul Fatawu have given Leicester City a 2-0 half-time lead over the Blues at the King Power Stadium.

Town made two changes from the side which beat Stoke City 1-0 at Portman Road on Wednesday.

Sindre Walle Egeli dropped out of the squad due to illness and was replaced wide on the right by Jack Clarke.

Former Foxes striker George Hirst, suspended in midweek, returned as the number nine with Ivan Azon moving to the bench alongside former Leicester forward Kasey McAteer.

The home side made one change from the team which drew 2-2 at Bristol City on Wednesday with captain Ricardo Pereira returning to the XI for Hamza Choudhury, who was among the subs.

Jordan James was OK to start in midfield having been a doubt due to a groin issue suffered against the Robins. Former Town loan keeper Asmir Begovic was the Foxes’ sub keeper.

The Blues began on the front foot but without threatening, the home side hitting the game’s first shot in the sixth minute, Fatawu hitting an effort which deflected through to Christian Walton, making his 100th league appearance for the club.

On eight, the Foxes went in front out of almost nothing. With there seeming no danger, the ball was stabbed into the path of De Cordova-Reid a few yards outside the area by Luke Thomas and the Jamaica international took a touch and smashed a shot which curled away from Walton to the keeper’s left and inside the post.

Following the goal, the home side dominated play with the Blues pinned back in their final third.

Just ahead of the quarter-hour, Jordan Ayew chested down a long throw from the left and tried an overhead effort which Cedric Kipre, who spent three years as an academy player with Leicester, was able to block.

Three minutes later, a deep corner from the left reached Oliver Skipp unmarked but the former Tottenham midfielder scuffed tamely and Walton claimed comfortably.

In the 20th minute, Jaden Philogene was fouled 10 yards outside the area to the left and Leif Davis sent in a promising free-kick which flicked off skipper Dara O’Shea’s head and wide but with the linesman’s flag having been raised.

Town began to get their passing going and in the 28th minute Fatawu fouled Philogene on the left for a second time. Davis’s free-kick was half-cleared to Azor Matusiwa, whose shot was blocked.

The Blues kept the ball in the final third and the ball was sent back across from the left, Hirst just failing to get his head on it. It ran loose and Kipre tried to find space for a shot but was crowded out.

Just after the half hour, Jack Taylor was shown the game’s first yellow card for tripping James as the Wales international took the ball into the area on the right and stayed on his feet until he was well inside the box despite the foul having been outside. Fatawu’s shot was palmed away by Walton.

But Town were beginning to look more threatening after a largely lethargic first half, Marcelino Nunez breaking into the area on the left before turning back and teeing up Clarke, who shot straight at home keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

Moments later, Philogene also got in on the left of the box but sent his cross beyond his teammates.

The Blues were starting to pass the ball around more slickly, but in the 43rd minute the Foxes doubled their lead in extraordinary circumstances.

A loose O’Shea pass was picked up by Fatawu midway inside his own half towards the right. The Ghanaian took it forward a stride or two past Taylor before hitting an effort from still well inside his own half which looped over Walton standing well out of his goal and under the bar to send the home fans into raptures.

The Blues went looking for a goal to get them back into the game, Philogene cutting in and shooting beyond the far post in the first of three added minutes.

Town weren’t to come any closer before the whistle ended a half in which they had looked underpowered and far from the team which won their last two at home, but equally not particularly deserving of a two-goal deficit against a largely pedestrian Leicester side relying mainly on long throws and set pieces to create a threat.

Two goals rather out of place in the game overall had been the difference, De Cordova-Reid hitting a clean early strike, then Fatawu surpassing the former Fulham man with his long distance effort.

The Blues were bright for the first few minutes but drifted after going behind before starting to get on top as they began to get their passing going with Clarke’s opportunity the best. However, overall, it had been a tired display, perhaps showing the impact of virtually the same team playing all three games over the last eight days.

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Pereira (c), Nelson, Vestergaard, L Thomas, James, Skipp, Fatawu, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi, Ayew. Subs: Begovic, Faes, Choudhury, Aluko, S Thomas, Page, Carranza, Daka, Evans.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, J Clarke, Nunez, Philogene, Hirst. Subs: Palmer, Greaves, Young, Johnson, Cajuste, Szmodics, McAteer, Akpom, Azon. Referee: Thomas Kirk (Cheshire).

Photo: Matchday Images