Leicester City are tipped to go with Admir Bristric as the lone striker when they face Burton Albion, with the Foxes projected to line up in a 4-1-4-1 shape as they begin their 2026/27 push for League One promotion and an immediate return to the EFL Championship.
That is why Leicester City Vs Burton is drawing attention now. The match is the first league meeting between the clubs, and it arrives with Leicester chasing a quick route back up the ladder while Burton are expected to spend a difficult season in League One. The search for the likely starting XI has turned on one clear detail: whether Bristric leads the line, and how Russell Martin chooses to shape the rest of the attack.
Leicester’s predicted team points to a controlled approach rather than a reshuffle. Alex McCarthy is set to start in goal, with Luke Thomas, Caleb Okoli, Harry Souttar and Jayden Joseph forming the defensive line. Oliver Skipp is expected to sit in front of them, while Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Cullen should work ahead of him. Will Alves and Tommy Watson are tipped to provide width, leaving Bristric as the central reference point. It is a straightforward setup on paper, and it places the emphasis on structure rather than a crowded forward line.
Joseph is part of that picture for a reason. He scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw at Notts County and is fully fit, so he is expected to keep his place. That fitness matters because Leicester are making selection calls at a point when every detail is being judged against the bigger aim of a clean start. Their recent record against Burton also helps explain the confidence around the fixture: Leicester have won four of the five prior competitive meetings, including a 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Pirelli Stadium on 9 August 2023 and a 3-0 pre-season friendly on 18 July 2026.
Burton, though, are not arriving without a plan of their own. They are expected to use a 3-4-2-1 shape, with Corey Addai in goal, Toby Sibbick, Finn Delap and Curtis Tilt in the back three, and Kyran Lofthouse and Jack Armer as wing-backs. George Evans and Sulyman Krubally are projected to anchor midfield, while Kgaogelo Chauke and Charlie Webster are expected to support Matthew Dennis. The one uncertainty on their side is Conor Chaplin, who may be ruled out through fitness or tactical uncertainty, leaving the final attacking balance unresolved.
That leaves Leicester with the clearer read before kickoff: Bristric looks the likeliest focal point, Joseph looks secure, and the rest of the shape suggests a side built to control the game from the middle rather than chase it. Burton have beaten Leicester once in their five competitive meetings, back in August 2012 at King Power Stadium, but history now gives way to a league first that will test whether Leicester’s promotion plan starts with authority.
