The Premier League is back. We start off with Champions Leicester City taking on newly promoted team Hull City on Saturday, 13 August, for the opening game of the 2016/17 season, which promises to be one like no other. The Foxes are likely to miss out on the top four this season after what has been an incredible campaign in the last while Hull are favourites to get the drop. But like the Premier League has shown us time and again, it is anything but predictable.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 12:30pm BST. Live coverage of the game will be on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD. Catch the highlights on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10.30pm BST.

Overview

Leicester will be desperate to prove their detractors wrong by putting in a solid performance against Hull and starting their Premier League defence in style. The Foxes outshone all expectations last year when they won the league title, beating runners-up Arsenal by 10 points, who fell out of the race in March after a run of disappointing results. Manager Claudio Ranieri will face his toughest test thus far in his career, especially with Leicester also competing in Europe, something they haven't had to deal with last season.

Leicester have lost N'Golo Kante to Chelsea earlier in the summer and have brought in Nampalys Mendy as replacement. Kante was their main man in midfield last season, winning the majority of the battles and allowing the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy to counter, which was their established theme through the length of the season.

Vardy was set to be the first casualty from the title winning side, with Arsenal making a bid for the striker and eventually matching his release clause but the England international decided to sign a new contract with the Foxes. However, the Gunners are now considering a bid for Mahrez, with reports stating that the Algerian would be interested in a move to north London.

Leicester City
Claudio Ranieri and Wes Morgan parade the Premier League trophy Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Hull are in complete chaos ahead of the start of the new season and are without a manager going into the campaign and are being overseen by caretaker manager Mike Phelan after Steve Bruce left in July. They have a massive problem at the back, with three of their first choice defenders out with injury and are likely to use Curtis Davies at the back alongside midfielder Jake Livermore. Hull's inactivity in the market means they are extremely short across the pitch and may have only 13 senior players available for the game.

What managers say

Mike Phelan: "At the moment it is all purely picking up the phones, speaking to people and trying to find the targets. [We're chasing] new targets because people we went for earlier in the preseason have now moved on and gone to other clubs. We have to start again, I know it's a short window, the pressure is on now to do some business."

Claudio Ranieri: "I'm very curious about this season. The big teams are ready to fight for the title and we are ready to defend it. Our target is again 40 points and then to see what happens. Also to make a good experience in the Champions League. I think now we have less pressure than last season. Everything is different. We have to be clever to repeat it. It's 6000/1. It's more likely E.T. will land in Piccadilly Circus."

Betting Odds (betfair)

  • Hull City win: 7/2
  • Draw: 13/5
  • Leicester City win: 10/11

Team News

Hull City

Probable XI: Jakupovic; Elmohamady, Livermore, Davies, Robertson; Clucas, Huddlestone, Meyler, Snodgrass; Dimonade, Hernandez

Leicester City

Probable XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Hernandez, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy

Premier League Leicester City FC Hull City FC