Leicestershire

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All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Morecambe have signed forward Chris Popov on loan from Championship club Leicester City until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old came through Leicester's academy having initially played in Manchester United's youth set-up.

He also spent time on loan in League Two last season with Barrow, making 12 appearances for the club in all competitions.

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Wrexham midfielder Matty James said Leicester City are a club "close to my heart" but insists he is determined to secure three points against his former side in the Championship on Tuesday evening.

James, who has signed a new contract to remain at Wrexham until the summer of 2027, spent nine years with the Foxes and made 117 appearances for the East Midlands club.

He was with Leicester when they won the Premier League in 2016 but missed the whole campaign due to injury.

"It's a club that I hold close to my heart and having had the reception that I got at the away game, it's always nice to play against them," James said.

"But certainly for us, we're looking to try and get them three points on the night."

Both Wrexham and Leicester will be looking to bounce back after defeats on Saturday - Wrexham lost 2-1 at home to Norwich City while Leicester were beaten by league leaders Coventry City.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, Leicester have had an inconsistent season on the pitch while also experiencing off the field financial issues.

Martí Cifuentes' side are currently 13th in the Championship table – three points behind 10th placed Wrexham and six points off the play-off spots.

"I think they'll probably be expecting more from themselves," James added.

"I think there's things going on, and off the pitch at the moment, which is not nice to see."

James believes Leicester have what it takes to climb up the table and will pose a strong challenge for his current side.

"I think for us, we just focus on ourselves and make sure that we're prepared for the game. They've got good players and we have to respect that," he said.

"Hopefully, we can go out there and put on a great performance and get three points.

"The Championship's ticking fast, the games come round quickly. It's a good opportunity for us at home on Tuesday night."

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Leicester City will seek to end a winless midweek streak dating back to 2024 as they head to Wrexham on Tuesday (20:00 GMT).

The Foxes allowed an early lead to slip to a 2-1 defeat at Championship leaders Coventry on Saturday. City's third straight league defeat on the road left them 13th but only six points adrift of the play-off places.

The Red Dragons are three places and three points better off, despite seeing a 10-match unbeaten home run ended by a 2-1 defeat to Norwich last time out.

• Wrexham remain winless in seven Football League games against Leicester City (D4 L3), scoring just two goals in those meetings.

• Leicester last visited Wrexham in league competition in April 1982, drawing 0-0. They have never conceded a goal on three previous trips.

• Leicester City have only lost one of their past 13 Championship games against newly-promoted opponents (W7 D5), going down 0-1 at Plymouth in April 2024.

• Wrexham have only lost one of their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W3 D3), going down 0-2 to Hull in December.

• Leicester City are winless in their past 10 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D3 L7) since a 3-1 Premier League win over West Ham in December 2024.