Leicester City fans are unlikely to be thrilled with the Premier League’s referee appointment for their upcoming match against Nottingham Forest. The Foxes are set to return to Premier League action later this week, kicking off gameweek nine on Friday evening.

Leicester City will host Nottingham Forest on October 25th, with kickoff set for 8 PM BST at the King Power Stadium.

Steve Cooper’s side enters the match with momentum, having climbed to 14th in the league table after back-to-back victories. They secured a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth before the October international break and followed that up with a thrilling 3-2 comeback against Southampton this past Saturday, overcoming a two-goal deficit to clinch a vital three points.

The Leicester manager will certainly be optimistic about his side’s chances of achieving three wins in a row this weekend, despite the fact that Nottingham Forest have lost only one of their eight matches this season.

Craig Pawson has been appointed as the referee for the upcoming Leicester City vs. Nottingham Forest clash. Ahead of Friday’s match, the Premier League has confirmed the match officials for all fixtures this weekend. Alongside Pawson, Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh will serve as assistant referees, while Darren Bond will be the fourth official. Paul Tierney and Harry Lennard will oversee VAR duties for the game at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester fans are unlikely to be pleased to see Craig Pawson officiating their clash, especially since he was recently demoted by the Premier League. Pawson officiated Everton’s match against Newcastle United before the international break, where he made a contentious decision not to award a penalty to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Following that criticism, the 45-year-old was relegated to fourth official duties for Chelsea vs. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United this past weekend. However, he returns to the spotlight on Friday, with Leicester hoping he avoids any similarly controversial decisions during their game.

Craig Pawson’s record with Leicester City is far from favorable, as Friday’s match will mark the 43rd time he has officiated a game involving the Foxes. In those previous encounters, Leicester has managed to win just 13, drawing eight, and suffering 21 losses.

Throughout his tenure, Pawson has issued 70 yellow cards to Leicester players, with only Manchester United receiving more at 80. Additionally, he has shown three red cards and awarded five penalty kicks in his 42 games refereeing the Midlands club, adding to the concerns for Leicester fans ahead of this crucial clash.