Leicester v Chelsea: injury news, Jamie Vardy, expected lineup
Leicester City are almost lucky enough to have a fully fit squad, with Dennis Praet the only absentee at present. Yet which eleven will start on Tuesday?
Prior to the crunch match at the home of Leicester City versus Chelsea this week, Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers gave the standard pre-match press conference.
Injury updates were always going to be high on the assembled sports media agendas – with striker Jamie Vardy at the very top of that list. Vardy was withdrawn with a problem after a definitely uncharacteristic performance versus Southampton: the former England man missed a few good changes to score or facilitate.
Thankfully, the talismanic forward is available for selection against the Blues, as per BBC Leicester Sport. Along with Vardy, Rodgers also gave information on Papy Mendy who may be rested with a neck strain. Dennis Praet will be unavailable for three months.
Expect Leicester City starting XI
Here is Foxes of Leicester’s predicted lineup for the King Power side, in a 4-2-1-3 formation:
Kasper Schmeichel; James Justin, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Timothy Castagne; Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans; James Maddison; Harvey Barnes, Marc Albrighton and Vardy.
Decent forward options
Vardy’s couple of fitness issues have led to renewed calls for the east Midlands side to finally purchase a legitimate heir to the striker’s throne on Filbert Way. However, Brendan Rodgers has made it pretty clear that, if this does eventually happen, it’ll be when the January window has passed – due to poor, expensive options – and the summer opening arrives.
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Much of sports media has linked Leicester with signings from Scotland, although, that generally appears to only be because Rodgers managed Celtic to glory – many of his personnel remain at Celtic Park – and the Northern Irishman also brought his recruitment chief Lee Congerton along with him to England. Meanwhile, Kelechi Iheanacho, Vardy’s main understudy, is thought of by most as inferior to the No.9 and an unsatisfactory replacement.