Leicester City are set to undertake their maiden voyage in the Europa League tomorrow night against Ukrainian Premier League side Zorya Luhansk. Here’s what to expect.
Tomorrow night marks a significant moment in the history of Leicester City Football Club. The Foxes are set to make their first outing in the Europa League since it rebranded from the UEFA cup in the 2009/10 season, with Ukrainian Premier League outfit F.C. Zorya Luhansk travelling to the King Power Stadium for an 8:00pm kick-off.
Many of you will have fond memories of Leicester’s last stint in Europe in the 2016/17 Champions League- topping the group and defying the odds for a second time with a monumental win against European regulars Sevilla, before being knocked out in dubious circumstances by Atlético Madrid. This time, the odds are stacked far more favourably towards Leicester City, who are 20/1 to finish as eventual winners of the competition. It certainly won’t be easy feat, but a win against Zorya tomorrow night would be an ideal start for the Foxes.
Zorya Luhansk:
F.C. Zorya Luhansk are a Ukrainian Premier League outfit traditionally based in Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine, though they currently play their home games further west, in Zaporizhia. At the time of writing, Zorya sit at ninth place in the UPL table, with only one win from six games played, while their last major honours came with a solitary Ukrainian League title back in the 2005/06 season. Their record in Europe is similarly inconsistent. Since the 2014-15 season, Zorya have been entered into the Europa League every year, but have only succeeded in making it past the qualifiers three times, and never going further than the group stage.
Despite Zorya’s spotty form, it would be a mistake to insinuate that this will be an easy three points for Leicester City. On far too many occasions last season did we see the Foxes underestimate their opponents, costing them dearly in the form of a cup final and a place in the top four. Leicester of all clubs should be well aware of the immense power that an underdog reputation can bring, with Zorya likely well up for the occasion as they travel to the East Midlands.
With more difficult fixtures against Braga and AEK Athens fast approaching, it’s important that the Foxes get off to a winning start tomorrow, or they could easily slip down the group given one or two mistakes. A key battle should emerge between whoever the Foxes choose to deploy at defensive midfield and highly-rated attacking midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko. A capable defensive midfielder, goalkeeper and centre-back pairing completes a strong spine for the Ukrainian outfit. Given they keep their concentration, tomorrow’s match is one that I fully expect Leicester to win- but they should not expect Zorya to make it easy for them.
Predicted starting XI:
Goalkeeper and defence: Kasper Schmeichel, James Justin, Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans, Christian Fuchs.
Given this is the Foxes’ first outing in the Europa League, it’s hard to gauge how aggressive Brendan Rodgers will be with his team selection. Taking Leicester’s extensive injury list and poor squad depth into account, I expect many of the East Midlanders’ key players to be rested for Sunday’s match against Arsenal, with a number of fringe players making it into my lineup.
In goal, Kasper Schmeichel seems to be a safe bet after playing every minute of the current Premier League campaign. Timothy Castagne and James Justin are both due a rest, but a lack of right-backs in the squad should leave one of them starting tomorrow, unless Hamza Choudhury is thrust into an unfamiliar position. Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans should reprise their roles at centre-back after the former had an excellent debut, while veteran Christian Fuchs will be called upon to round out my defence.
Midfield: Hamza Choudhury, Dennis Praet, James Maddison.
In midfield, Hamza Choudhury should gain a start after struggling for minutes this season, while Dennis Praet returns to the team after previously thought unavailable for last Sunday’s match against Villa. To complete my midfield, I’ve opted for James Maddison, who as of yet has not started since returning from injury. The Englishman has struggled for fitness recently and I believe this could be the perfect platform for him to return to his dazzling best.
Attack: Cengiz Ünder, Kelechi Iheanacho, Marc Albrighton.
In attack, I’d be surprised if Cengiz Ünder didn’t finally make his full debut after he wasn’t even utilised off the bench against Villa, much to the dismay of many Foxes fans. If he starts tomorrow night, this could be an opportunity for the Turk to ease into life in the East Midlands and open his account with a goal or assist. Up front, I can’t see any way that Kelechi Iheanacho doesn’t start, as an injury to Jamie Vardy leaves him the only striker available in Leicester’s Europa League squad. Much like Maddison, this could be an opportunity for the Nigerian to return to the form he enjoyed last season- his best ever in a Leicester City shirt. He showed flashes of tidy link-up play in his last outing, but faded in effectiveness as the match progress. A goal or two could do wonders for his confidence tomorrow. Rounding out my eleven is Marc Albrighton, who I expect to deputise for Harvey Barnes after he’s started every game so far this season.
Substitutes: Danny Ward, Timothy Castagne, Wes Morgan, Luke Thomas, Papy Mendy, Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Pérez.
On the bench, I expect to see many of the usual starters gaining a sorely needed rest. Injuries to Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi keep them out of the squad completely, while Jamie Vardy is a serious doubt. Hopefully, Leicester’s promising young talent Luke Thomas can get some minutes under his belt too.