Previewing MK Dons’ home game against Leicester City at Stadium MK, kicking off at 12.30pm

Ex-MK Dons boss Russell Martin returns to Stadium MK for the first time in the opposition dugout since his controversial exit five years ago.

The Leicester City boss will turn left out of the tunnel on Saturday and could be in for a hostile reception from the home supporters after his departure for Swansea City in on the eve of the 2021/22 season threatened to leave Dons in the lurch.

Spells at Southampton and Rangers have followed for the former centre-half, before agreeing to join the Foxes this summer in their bid to immediately bounce back to the Championship following relegation last time out.

And it hasn’t been the ideal start for Leicester on their return to the division for the first time since 2008/09. After an opening day draw with Notts County, which saw former Dons midfielder Conor Grant net for the Magpies, Leicester were beaten 2-1 by Burton Albion last Saturday, with another ex-Dons man in the form of Matt Dennis finding the net for the Brewers.

And former Premier League champs head to Milton Keynes off the back of a 3-1 League Cup defeat to Ipswich in the week.

It is Leicester’s first trip to Stadium MK since 2022 when, then in the top flight, goals from Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy eased them to victory. But their last league trip to MK1 ended in controversial fashion in 2009 when a 100th minute Max Gradel goal snatched a point in a 2-2 draw which turned out to be something of a turning point in the battle for the League One title that season.

Dons head into the campaign off the back of two draws in their return to League One. Paul Warne’s side were denied victory by a stoppage time goal in the first game of the season away at Oxford but needed a slice of luck to gain a point at home to Huddersfield Town last time out.

Both sides made moves in the transfer window on Wednesday, with City bringing in teenage centre-back Ilari Kangasniemi while Dons signed keeper Will Dennis from Bournemouth.

Referee Thomas Parsons will take charge of the game. Four games this season have yielded 16 yellow cards and one penalty so far this season. Dons do not have a great record under the official, losing four of the six games he has reffed, including the 1-0 defeat to Salford back in March.

Assistants Daniel Smith and Nick Blogg will run the lines with Fourth Official Gareth Thomas.