Leicester City: What to expect over the holiday period?

Another International break has begun, giving Leicester City’s players some much needed rest both mentally and physically after such a draining time for the club.

A Chance for some Fringe Players?

With ten fixtures over the holiday period, Claude Puel should rotate his squad, not just because of the congested schedule, but also to figure out the quality he has in the squad. For example: is it time to move on from Adrien Silva, Vicente Iborra, Shinji Okazaki and Rachid Ghezzal? Or should he send some of them out on loan in order to give them more game time starting in January?

Silva and Iborra may still have a future here. With the emergence of James Madison, Namplays Mendy and Wilfred Ndidi, breaking into the starting line-up has been hard for the two central midfielders. However, with games coming thick and fast, Puel should rest his preferred midfield partnership at least once during this run of games.

Silva could potentially bring a more creative presence to the Foxes’ midfield and try and ignite an attack that has been stagnant recently. Iborra, on the other hand, will look to be a steadying presence and act more as a screen for the backline. Ultimately, it will be up to Iborra and Silva to seize their chance to try and get a run in the side over the holiday period.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Arthur Masuaku of West Ham United is challenged by Rachid Ghezzal of Leicester City during the Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United at The King Power Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Okazaki, Kelechi Ihenacho and Ghezzal are three players who deserve a look over the holiday period as well. While the stagnant attack is not all down to Vardy’s inability to score a goal at the moment, a switch in the no.9 role could breathe new life into City’s attack. This isn’t to say that Vardy must be dropped, but to suggest that he could benefit with another striker playing up front with him – as has been done before.

The festive period is a crucial time for Leicester’s fringe players. A solid run in the side could bring about a boost in their minutes, while poor performances could potentially see them sent out on loan or sold in the January transfer window.

How many Wins can Leicester get over the next month?

From the end of November till the beginning of December, Leicester have matches against Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton (League Cup), Watford, and Fulham. Leicester should be able to take full points against inferior opponents – on paper, that is. The Fulham game in particular should be interesting. Former boss Claudio Ranieri has taken the helm of a team in free fall and will no doubt have them organised. He’ll have them in a shape he wants.

These four games represent a good run of potentially easier fixtures where Puel can afford to rest some of his star players so they can be well rested for the tougher games at the end of December. If the Frenchman and his men can get full points from the three league games, they will start to feel that they have turned a corner and will be able to gain some momentum heading into a tough schedule to end the holiday period.

CARDIFF, WALES – NOVEMBER 03: (EDITORS NOTE: THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO BLACK & WHITE) Leicester manager Claude Puel looks on during the Premier League match between Cardiff City and Leicester City at Cardiff City Stadium on November 03, 2018 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

To finish December, the East Midlanders have a brutal run of games. With matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Cardiff City, Manchester City and Everton, they will have to be in top form in order to get something. Currently, Tottenham, Chelsea and City are all in Champions League places and pose a difficult challenge for Puel’s side. Vardy seems to always play well against the usual Champions League suspects, and the Foxes will need him to be back to peak form if they hope to win any of those games.

Over the aforementioned nine games, Leicester should be able to earn six wins. A solid showing against some of the lesser teams in the league should help them move up in the table, while a couple draws against teams from the big six would conclude a wonderful holiday period for Leicester. A total of 20 points sounds optimistic, but if Leicester want to challenge for a UEFA Europa League place, they need to beat teams like Fulham and Cardiff, and try to grind out a result against the top four sides.

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Puel’s men face a challenging end of November and December; however if they can string a couple of wins together, they’d be in great shape to start 2019 off strong and begin to challenge for Europe.