Match preview: United Women v Leicester

Marc Skinner's Reds have won on each of our last six outings in the competition, and go into the 12:30 GMT kick-off full of confidence as we look to extend a run that has seen us rise up to second in the table.

United can also take belief into the Leigh Sports Village clash on the back of triumphing 2-0 in November's reverse fixture between the sides, ensuring we have been victorious in all but one of our seven WSL meetings with the Foxes over the years.

Ahead of our eighth league duel with the east Midlanders, we've got everything you need to know in this match preview, from ticket information to the latest team news and more...

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW

Tickets and hospitality packages are available for the lunchtime encounter at LSV.

If you aren't able to join us in Leigh, you can watch the action in the UK via the BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

As always, we will also keep you across what's going on with updates in the United app, where shorts and extended cuts of the highlights will be viewable from midday on Monday.

TEAM NEWS

Skinner told reporters in this morning's pre-match press conference that midfielder Lisa Naalsund could potentially make her return from long-term injury in next weekend's Adobe Women's FA Cup tie against Sunderland, although this game against the Foxes comes just too soon.

The boss also said that Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Hinata Miyazawa are set to land back in England today, after their involvements in the Stateside SheBelieves Cup, which Miyazawa's Japan won earlier this week.

Leicester forward Yuka Momiki scored the opening goal of Japan's decisive 2-1 success over the United States on Thursday, and it is currently unclear whether she - or compatriot Saori Takarada, who also faced the USA - will be involved at the weekend.

However, Foxes manager Amandine Miquel did say that her team has picked up no fresh injury concerns from the international break, while updating journalists during her own pre-match media briefing.

OPPOSITION REPORT

Only goal difference spared Miquel's team from being inside the WSL's relegation zone after a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in December, but the Foxes have since enjoyed a marked change in fortunes after drawing 1-1 with Chelsea six days later, becoming the only side to stop the runaway leaders winning all 24 of their matches this season.

Since the turn of the year, Leicester have doubled their goal, points and wins tallies and now have a six-point buffer to the one-team drop zone, which is currently occupied by Crystal Palace.

That gap was extended to six with an impressive 3-0 victory over Midlands rivals Aston Villa, who they have leapfrogged in the standings as a result of that victory on their last outing, nearly two weeks ago.

Belgium international midfielder Janice Cayman scored twice in that win and provided important goals in recent weeks with Jutta Rantala and Lena Petermann - two of the Foxes' top scorers last season - sidelined through injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

This weekend Manchester United will be aiming to become the first team in Women’s Super League history to score inside the opening 10 minutes in four consecutive games; only Everton and Spurs (both five) have conceded more times this season than Leicester (four) in that period.

Stat courtesy of Opta.

RIVALS WATCH

Sunday 2 March

UNITED v Leicester City (12:30 GMT)
Aston Villa v Everton (14:00 GMT)
Crystal Palace v Liverpool (14:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City (14:00 GMT)
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea (15:00 GMT)
Arsenal v West Ham United (17:30 GMT)