Leicester will travel to Cardiff by coach rather than flying

Foxes take the decision that flying would be insensitive after Srivaddhanaprabha death

Tributes outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium after the death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
Tributes outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium after the death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Leicester will travel to Saturday’s Premier League game at Cardiff by coach rather than fly.

The Foxes will go by road on Friday after making the decision flying would be insensitive given the circumstances of chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s tragic death.

Srivaddhanaprabha died on Saturday, along with four others, when his helicopter crashed after taking off from the King Power Stadium.

On Tuesday evening, Leicester announced the Cardiff game will go ahead having postponed their Carabao Cup game with Southampton, which was due to be played on Tuesday.

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The club had discussed whether to play the fixture in Wales but it will go ahead after backing from the players and staff and there will be a minute’s silence prior to kick off, while the players will wear black armbands.

Cardiff executive director and chief executive Ken Choo also offered the Bluebirds’ support ahead of the weekend.

He told the club’s website: “Following Saturday evening’s terrible events at King Power Stadium, the thoughts and feelings of Leicester City FC are at the forefront of our minds.

“As such, we will be offering our support to Leicester City in any way necessary in respect of this weekend’s fixture.”

Books of condolence have been opened at the King Power Stadium and are available from 8am to 10pm every day. An online book can also be signed via the club’s website.

Two members of the chairman's staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, and pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz also died in the crash.

Tributes from fans and players have continued to grow outside the club’s North Stand while a group of Buddhist monks held a service on Tuesday.

Players, including Jamie Vardy and the injured Daniel Amartey, made separate trips to pay their own individual respects.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) continue to conduct its investigations as it tries to establish what caused Saturday’s tragedy.

The aircraft’s black boxes have been recovered and are being studied in Farnborough.