Best XI: how Leicester City should line-up at Wolves

Claude Puel has given his pre-match press conference as Leicester City prepare to travel to Wolverhampton to face Wolves. Therefore we can guess his side per team updates, but is the prospective side the Foxes’ best XI:

Losing 2-1 at home to Southampton is generally unacceptable for a club with high aspirations as Leicester City; regardless of outstanding victories over Chelsea away from home and Manchester City at the King Power Stadium. If European qualification is to be realised through the Premier League, those are the absolute ‘must win games’ frankly.

As usual Leicester are their own worst enemy, so to speak. Saints victory means Wolverhampton Wanderers is must win ‘six-pointer’ in a sense – just for top-half clubs as opposed to a relegation battle. Fans were again unimpressed as a team devoid of attacking ideas slumped to a loss.

Hapless to happy is a way to describe manager Claude Puel and his team occasionally this season. A fluctuating rollercoaster is our own personal favourite. It’s always this way for the Foxes, the Blue Army are used to on-pitch instability; it is assuring to have a more assured, stable boss than currently though.

The Frenchman cannot be overly defensive versus Wolves; unless we achieve a boring smash-and-grab. In order to claim back his wavering, marginal ‘Puel in’ crowd, Leicester City simply have to put up a fight and play faster attacking football despite lesser possession. It’s definitely as important to impress or entertain the tired and disillusioned, loyal away support; ‘Puel out’ is seemingly growing as a movement online, anyway.

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Presser

There was only one piece of injury news from the gaffer on Thursday, something he has been doing more recently. This move is possibly a new policy as there is no reason or law to give information to the press, and of course opposing teams; especially after Spygate – which the 57-year-old actually spoke about.

"“It was not a serious injury and he will be in the squad on Saturday.”– Claude Puel on Jonny Evans’s recovery and inclusion in the squad.(Via: Leicester Mercury)"

Leicester City’s probable and best XI for Wolves game

Will he or won’t he use the defensive 4-3-3? That is the question, and to answer it we can look at Wolves – without spying – and they often play 3-4-3. Making it extremely likely the Frenchman will continue to persevere with Papy Mendy, Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury in the middle; in spite of Mendy’s two-goal-conceding-mistakes in the previous game.

Here is the probable starting XI: Kasper Schmeichel; Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, Wes Morgan, Ricardo Pereira; Mendy, Choudhury, Ndidi; Harvey Barnes, James Maddison; Jamie Vardy.

Expect Marc Albrighton to be close to beginning, for his industry in particular; although the West Midlands club aren’t known for a tough contemporary side. Maddison and Barnes are interchangeable as Puel’s wingers/playmakers. ‘Get at them early’, is the best advice for the contest.

Going to places like Molineux Stadium with a sit back approach, inviting a promoted outfit to embarrass you is a mistake. Yes, use the counter-attack but don’t rely on it with Leicester City’s initial slowness

There is only one significant alteration Foxes of Leicester would make prospectively make for the Wolves clash: Mendy swapping with Albrighton. The team line-up in a 4-3-3; switchable to a more Puel-like 4-2-3-1 in-game. Pushing the wingers up and letting Maddison dictate as a slightly deeper No.10: possibly helping Leicester’s creative deficiency in midfield. Our team would start thusly: Schmeichel, Chilwell, Maguire, Morgan, Ricardo; Choudhury, Ndidi; Maddison; Barnes, Albrighton; Vardy.