Leicester City v Manchester United: Premier League – live!

8.42am EST 08:42

55 min: Manchester United threaten to embark on a counter-attack but James Maddison puts an illegal stop to Bruno’s gallop. Yellow card. United substitution from a minute or so ago: Paul Pogba on for Dan James.

8.40am EST 08:40

53 min: Maddison tries to curl the ball over the wall into the top left-hand corner, but Rashford jumps and puts it out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

8.39am EST 08:39

52 min: Leicester win a free-kick for hand ball, after a Fred backpass hits Bailly’s outstretched arm. It’s just on the edge of the penalty area, almost dead centre in prime Maddison real estate.

8.38am EST 08:38

51 min: No chances of note for either side in the early stages of the second half but Leicester are bossing possession. Paul Pogba is about to come on for United.

8.36am EST 08:36

49 min: Youri Tielemans hoists the ball into the Manchester United penalty area from the right, but Harry Maguire clears. United embark on a galloping counter-attack with a two-on-two but if comes to nothing.

8.35am EST 08:35

47 min: From deep, Bruno Fernandes plays the ball wide to Marcus Rashford, who is dispossessed by a well-timed tackle from the very impressive James Justin.

8.33am EST 08:33

Second half: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester United

46 min: Leicester get proceedings under way with no changes in personnel on either side. I’d put the farm on there being more goals in this game, if I had a farm. Right now I couldn’t tell you who’ll get them … but I will at some point.

8.20am EST 08:20

Half-time: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester United

A fairly entertaining 45 minutes is brough to a halt by Mike Dean, with the sides level. United opened the scoring, with Marcus Rashford making up for his awful miss in the opening seconds. Harvey Barnes drew Leicester level and on the balance of play, the scoreline is probably fair.

8.17am EST 08:17

45+1 min: Bruno Fernandes gets booked for a foul on Jonny Evans. He looks aggrieved, I’d need to see it again before deciding whether or not I feel his pain.

8.16am EST 08:16

44 min: The camera cuts to the United bench, where Ole has his arms folded tightly to ward off the cold, his chin entrenched deep in his padded jacket.

8.14am EST 08:14

43 min: Manchester United advance with Eric Bailly on the ball. They win themselves a throw-in deep in Leicester territory.

8.11am EST 08:11

40 min: End to end stuff as Leicester have a free-kick halfway inside the United half that’s cleared, prompting a counter-attack from the specialists of the genre. Youri Tielemans mops up at the back for Leicester. Good defending.

8.09am EST 08:09

38 min: Oh dear. Another chance goes a begging for Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes gets a bit too much forehead on the ball, heading wide of the upright when scoring looked easier.

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United heads towards goal. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/NMC Pool

Updated at 8.19am EST

8.07am EST 08:07

35 min: So, that goal. Harry Maguire half-cleared a Marc Albrighton cross from the left and the ball fell to Bruno Fernandes. He gave it away to James Maddison, who picked out Barnes on the edge of the penalty area. The youngster shimmied this way and that, making room for a shot on the edge of the penalty area before spanking the ball home.

8.05am EST 08:05

34 min: Leicester win a corner, which is cleared. Youri Tielemans is penalised for wafting his boot perilously close to the head of Luke Shaw and United have a free-kick just outside their own penalty area.

8.03am EST 08:03

GOAL! Leicester City 1-1 Manchester United (Barnes 31)

Well, that’s awkward. Harvey Barnes restores parity, shooting from the edge of the Manchester United penalty area after stealing a yard of space. That’s a good goal.

Harvey Barnes fires home the Foxes’ equaliser. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC/Getty Images

Updated at 8.28am EST

8.02am EST 08:02

29 min: “They’ve just taken the pace out of the game. They’ve taken control of the game.” BT Sport co-comms man Glenn Hoddle sums it up nicely, talking about Manchester United.

7.58am EST 07:58

24 min: Dan James was the provider there, although the assist will officially go to Bruno Fernandes, who stretched to control the Welshman’s cross, but merely touched it into the path to Rashford. Unmarked again about 12 yards out, the National Treasure made no mistake this time, opening his body before sidefooting past Schmeichel. That’s his 50th Premier League goal. I think. (Other statistics are available.)

Updated at 7.59am EST

7.54am EST 07:54

GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Manchester United (Rashford 23)

Marcus Rashford puts Manchester United ahead, side-footing into the bottom right-hand corner after getting on the end of a low cross from the right.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford shoots … Photograph: Glyn Kirk/Pool/Reuters Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford scores their first goal. Photograph: Michael Regan/Pool/Reuters Then celebrates with a knee slide. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 8.23am EST

7.52am EST 07:52

21 min: Leicester win a free-kick, wide on the right halfway inside the United half. The ball’s swung into the penalty area, where Youri Tielemans whacks it on the volley. His goal-bound effort is blocked by his own team-mate Harvey Barnes, despite his valiant attempts to leap out of the way.

7.50am EST 07:50

19 min: Leicester City corner – Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana make their way up the pitch. The ball’s played deep into the United penalty area, where Victor Lindelof thumps it clear with a firm header.

7.49am EST 07:49

18 min: Leicester throw-in, down by the technical areas. James Justin ambles forward with the ball at his feet, plays the ball wide and Luke Shaw intercepts.

7.46am EST 07:46

16 min: That said, Marcus Rashford’s missed chance really was a shocker. A free header at the far post from six yards … ouch.

7.45am EST 07:45

14 min: A fairly even match so far, with neither side looking particularly superior. Leicester are probably edging it.

7.43am EST 07:43

12 min: Leicester seem to have identified the out-of-position Victor Lindelof as United’s weak spot and are directing most of their play towards the Manchester United right-back position.

7.41am EST 07:41

11 min: In the Manchester United goal, David De Gea seems to have done himself a mischief and is in some discomfort. He appears to have hurt his lower back. Dean Henderson is sent to warm up.

7.40am EST 07:40

10 min: Jamie Vardy is put in behind by a ball from deep but messes up his one-on-one with De Gea, shooting narrowly wide. He was offside, it wouldn’t have counted.

7.39am EST 07:39

8 min: David De Gea makes an absolute pig’s ear out of an effort to play out from the back, but gets away with it.

7.38am EST 07:38

7 min: Timothy Castagne swings a cross in from the left after good work down the flank from Leicester. The ball is cleared.

7.37am EST 07:37

5 min: Both teams have lined up with pretty much identical formations: four at the back, with two holding in front of them behind the respective parties up front.

7.34am EST 07:34

3 min: Jamie Vardy misses half-decent chance for Leicester, volleying over after connecting with a James Justin cross from the right. It wasn’t by any means as easy a chance as Rashford missed, but he’ll be kicking himself. Game very much on!!!

7.33am EST 07:33

2 min: Manchester United line up with a back four, with Victor Lindelof playing at right back. Up front, Marcus Rashford gets a free header on the edge of the six-yard box, but nods the ball over the bar. Getting on the end of a dink from Fernandes, he misses an absolute sitter!!!

Marcus Rashford heads over. Photograph: Richard Pelham NMC Pool Rashford rues his miss … Photograph: Eddie Keogh NMC Pool As does former Manchester United player turned pundit Paul Scholes. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

Updated at 7.56am EST

7.31am EST 07:31

Leicester City v Man United is go …

Mike Dean blows his whistle, Bruno Fernandes gets the ball rolling and play is under way at the King Power.

7.28am EST 07:28

Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch and the last of the pre-match niceties are under way in a depressingly empty King Power Stadium. |In a perfect world, we’d all be at a game and looking forward to a visit to the pub but … well, deeze times. Here’s hoping we get a decent game.

The Manchester United players take to the pitch. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Updated at 7.39am EST

6.46am EST 06:46

Those teams: Jamie Vardy starts, which means Leicester field an unchanged side from the eleven who saw off Spurs last weekend.

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly is in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, making only his sixth appearance for United this season.

Close but no cigar: Harry Maguire ensures that Getty Images snapper Marc Atkins narrowly misses out on what could have been one of the great sports photographs. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

6.39am EST 06:39

Leicester City v Manchester United line-ups

Leicester City: Schmeichel; Justin, Fofana, Evans, Castagne; Ndidi, Tielemans; Albrighton, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.

Subs: Ward, Thomas, Amartey, Fuchs, Mendy, Choudhury, Praet, Perez, Iheanacho.

Manchester United: De Gea, Lindelof, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Fernandes; Rashford, Martial, James.

Subs: Henderson, Tuanzebe, Telles, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Van de Beek, Greenwood, Cavani.

6.34am EST 06:34

Today’s match officials

Referee: Mike DeanAssistants: Ian Hussin and Dan RobathanFourth official: Robert JonesVAR: Graham Scott

Mike Dean will be bringing his unique brand of festive cheer to today’s game at the King Power Stadium. Photograph: Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images

6.34am EST 06:34

Early team news …

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is expected to be fit, despite picking up a groin injury in his side’s win over Tottenham last weekend. Having recovered from the knee injury that kept him sidelined since March, Ricardo Pereira misses out again with a groin injury. Caglar Soyuncu is suffering from a similar injury and may also miss out.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær may have to plot without Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan Bissaka. McTominay picked up a groin injury during his bravura perfomance against Leeds last week, while Wan Bissaka missed United’s midweek League Cup win against Everton with some manner of unspecified knock.

The King Power Stadium, where Leicester City host Manchester United today. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC/Getty Images

5.33am EST 05:33

Premier League: Leicester City v Manchester United

Merry Christmas one and all, and welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of the Boxing Day opener between Leicester City and Manchester United at the King Power Stadium.

Currently in second place, a point clear of their visitors, Leicester City can go within a point of the league leaders Liverpool with a win over United, whose League Cup win over Everton on Wednesday was their third victory in a week.

Kick-off in Leicester is at 12.30pm (GMT), but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.