Claudio Raneiri has almost a full squad to choose from ahead of his side’s vital match against Sunderland.
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has confirmed to the club’s official website that goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel will remain out for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland .
The Danish stopper is the Foxes only absentee, however, with Nampalys Mendy and Ben Chilwell among those now fit for selection after overcoming injuries.
Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel
“Only Kasper [is out],” said Ranieri. “He is working normal in the training session separately, but he’s okay.
“[Nampalys] Mendy, Ben Chilwell and everybody else have come back to the first team and they have trained all week. They are available. Of course they haven’t played 90 minutes, but they’re okay.”
In characteristic Ranieri style, he joked about Schmeichel’s injury during his press conference.
“Today (Thursday), I shook his hand,” he began. “He always goes to give me his left hand but today I said no, you give me your right hand and it was good. It was gentle one, not a Marcin Wasilewski one!”
Leicester City’s Nampalys Mendy in action with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka
Mendy’s return could be important for Ranieri’s side, who have felt the absence of N’golo Kante since the French international’s summer departure for Chelsea.
The ex-Nice man was signed to fill Kante’s role, but Mendy picked up a knock on his Foxes debut against Arsenal in August and has not featured since.
He returns to compete with Daniel Amartey and Andy King for a place in the centre of midfield, with Danny Drinkwater still absent through suspension.
Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater remains out due to suspension
Leicester needed a late penalty to salvage a point against Middlesbrough last time out, and they have won just three times in 13 Premier League matches so far.
They are just two points above the bottom three going into the weekend, and a defeat at bottom club Sunderland could leave the Foxes in a precarious position approaching the hectic festive schedule.
Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring the first goal for Leicester City and breaking a record after scoring in eleven consecutive Premier League games
It is all a far cry from this time last year, when Jamie Vardy had just broken the Premier League record after scoring in 11 consecutive games and Riyad Mahrez’s hat-trick earned a 3-0 win at Swansea the following weekend to keep them in contention at the top of the table.
City fans will be hoping the team – and particularly the dynamic duo mentioned above – can return to something approaching last season’s form before they get too embroiled in a relegation scrap.
The below stat shows how the telepathic link-up Leicester’s most dangerous attackers enjoyed during 2015/16 has faded this time around.
Can Leicester arrest their slide and claim a win in the north-east? Leave your predictions below.
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