On a warm afternoon, in the first home game of the post-Vardy era, Leicester City strolled to a 2-0 victory over their Italian opponents. First half strikes by Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu were enough to win the game. Despite making wholesale changes in the second half, Fiorentina offered little going forward and the Foxes could have added to their lead had Jason McAteer and Bilal El Khannouss been more clinical in front of goal.
Who will start?
The starting XI for City's final pre-season friendly gave some clues as to who will feature in the first league match. New coach Marti Cifuentes surprisingly preferred Jannik Vestergaard and Caleb Okoli at the centre of defence instead of Ben Nelson and Wout Faes, and Boubakary Soumare and Oliver Skipp rather than Harry Winks and Wilfred Ndidi in central midfield. The front three of Stephy Mavididi, Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu are likely to start the first league game too.
Who will still be here?
More to the point, there are likely to be extensive player movements at the King Power before the transfer window shuts on September 1. For one thing, Cifuentes recognises that his new squad is bloated and needs cutting. At present, at least three players will have to be left out of the maximum 25-man squad allowed for by the EFL. For another, the drop of revenue as a result of relegation means the Foxes will have to make some money from transfers if the club is to avoid yet more PSR charges.
Conor Coady has left for Wrexham and Mads Hermansen, despite starting today, is being heavily linked with West Ham. Most of the remaining defenders have, at one time or another, been suggested as possible departures. The latest of these is James Justin who Everton appear to be chasing. It may be significant that the right back wasn’t in the squad today and that Ndidi didn’t make an appearance from the bench. Of the others in the starting X1 today, Soumare is apparently on the wish list of some European clubs and El Khannouss is one of the club’s most saleable assets.
Star man
There is no question mark over Leicester’s stand-out performer today. Abdul Fatawu, back after a season-ending ACL injury, was sensational. For the hour or so he was on the pitch, Fatawu terrorised the Fiorentina left back. His mazy run set up Ayew’s goal and he finished another run with a curling left-foot shot of his own. It is probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that the Foxes’ promotion prospects are, to a large extent, dependent upon the winger staying fit and in form.
No other Leicester player shone to the same extent. The defence weren’t troubled by an ineffective Italian front-line. The midfield two were functional but lack creativity. Harry Winks, replacing Oliver Skipp late on, looks a better fit for the side. Finally, Mavididi showed glimpses of the form he showed last time the Foxes were in the Championship.
Another striker must be a priority. Ayew is a competent player but is unlikely to score the amount of goals necessary for a promotion push and Patson Daka, as usual, worked hard when he came on towards the end but remains prone to mistakes and seems to have lost the ability to find the net on a regular basis. Players such as Patrick Bamford at Leeds and Richard Kone at Wycombe have been mooted as possible targets.