Russell Martin has endured a worse start to his competitive tenure at Leicester City Football Club than he will have wished for. Ironically, the preseason went fairly swimmingly for the Leicestershire outfit: plenty was resolved and encouraging performances emerged across friendly fixtures.
The Foxes even defeated Northampton Town in the EFL Cup to kick the season proper off in promising fashion. However, a draw away to Notts County in the opening League One contest was an early disappointment which exposed ssues without yet sounding full alarm bells.
A subsequent home defeat to Burton Albion at King Power Stadium stands as a clear indictment of Martin's preferred playing style and the limited, mediocre squad the ownership placed at his disposal. For the side to climb the table and secure promotion, the former Scotland international must demonstrate he can adapt and evolve his approach as a head coach.
One vital factor that will shape his chances of guiding the LE2 club up the divisions is the fitness and availability of his first-team roster. There were positive signs in a spirited showing away at Premier League Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup, even if a 3-1 defeat means they have now been eliminated from that competition.
Leicester City injury news
Conor Chaplin provided a major boost by declaring himself fully fit after making his debut at Portman Road, completing 60 minutes and confirming he has put his earlier physical problem firmly behind him. Caleb Okoli remains a doubt having missed the cup tie through injury, though Martin is hopeful the defender will be able to return to contention for the trip to face MK Dons this weekend.
"Martin felt the issue was precautionary and thinks he [Aluko] will be available for Saturday."OneFootball
Bade Aluko impressed on his first start at centre-back before being forced off with a knock, yet the manager views the substitution as precautionary and expects the young defender to be available. Jayden Joseph is also back in the frame after recovering from the heavy challenge that sidelined him in the opening match.
Add us as a preferred source on Google