Leicester v Brentford: Predicted Foxes XI for opening match

Leicester City host Brentford at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, in their first game of the 2022/23 Premier League season. Here is Foxes of Leicester’s predicted XI and injury update.

On the back of a successful pre-season for the Foxes, who were unbeaten throughout, I feel confident going into the new season, although we haven’t made any new signings I still feel confident in our current squad to do well, provided we don’t have many major injury issues.

The visitors have had a mixed set of results in pre-season, whilst beating fellow Premier League side Brighton 1-0, they also fell to defeat in Germany against Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, beating the Bees 4-0.

Leicester City injury update

The season hasn’t even begun and we’ve already got a list of names on our injury list, only Leicester would manage that. Following Brendan Rodgers’ press conference on Friday afternoon, it was confirmed that Ricardo Pereira has ruptured his Achilles leaving him out of action for up to six months, you’ve really got to feel for him, it just seems like one thing after another for the Portuguese international. Harvey Barnes’ is also out with a knee injury so is unavailable to play against Brentford in the opening game, with him being out for several weeks.

Predicted XI

I think the team who started against Sevilla in the final game of pre-season was roughly who Rodgers’ would’ve picked for the opening game, although injuries to Pereira and Barnes will have shaken this up, because of this here is my starting XI to face Brentford:

Danny Ward, Johnny Evans, Wesley Fofana, Daniel Amartey, Wilfred Ndidi, James Justin, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Youri Tielemans, Timothy Castagne, James Maddison, Jamie Vardy

In between the sticks I’ve gone for Danny Ward over Daniel Iverson purely because he has more experience against EPL teams, the poor guy has been waiting for this opportunity for so long and I think he deserves it. He isn’t injured so I think he’ll start. Although I do rate Iverson very highly and would like to see him begin, too. The Dane has been playing against championship teams and needs to gain some more experience first.

I think instead of playing with a back four, Rodgers will have to bring Amartey into three at the back, pushing Justin and Castagne forward to provide the width on the wings. Ndidi will play as a holding midfielder which will allow him to drop into the back three if needed to create a four.

Looking to the middle of the park I think Tielemans will start alongside KDH, although I would prefer to see Praet start over the former Monaco midfielder because I think he deserves a chance. However I think this might be a chance to put the Tielemans ‘in the shop window’, and it would fit better with the formation.

Looking out to the wings will be ‘JJ’ and Castagne, with Barnes out and no other natural left winger in the team I feel this is probably our only option. Up top will be the legend who is Jamie Vardy who I predict will be on his own with Maddison playing in behind him in the No.10 role.