Leicester Team News & Predicted Lineup vs Ipswich Town
How Leicester City Have Lined Up Recently
In Rowett’s first home game in charge, little change was made after a strong performance in midweek. Asmir Begovic was unlucky to miss out after suffering an injury in the warm-up. This led to Jakub Stolarczyk taking to the hallowed turf, with the academy graduate impressing upon return. With many defenders out with injury, the back four was once again unchanged. This consisted of Luke Thomas and Ricardo Pereira at full-back, as there are no other senior options. Meanwhile, in the centre, Caleb Okoli partnered Ben Nelson, although Jamaal Lascelles did come off the bench for the final 15 minutes.
Similarly, in midfield, the trio once again stayed intact. Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp were in the double pivot, though this time they struggled to assert themselves. The addition of Jordan James in the second half certainly was a positive, with the Welshman finally back in contention. Just ahead of them was Manchester City’s Divine Mukasa. The teenager didn’t perform to some of his recent heights, but it’s clear he’s always a creative spark and is trying to make things happen.
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Moving into attack, Bobby De Cordova Reid started off the left, whilst Stephy Mavdidi dropped out. On the opposite side, Abdul Fatawu started for the first time in a few weeks following an injury setback. As a result, Patson Daka led the line for the third consecutive time under his new manager. It seems Jordan Ayew has fallen out of favour as the season goes on, with Daka’s energy and commitment being necessary upfront.
Leicester’s Recent Form and Tactics
In terms of recent form, City’s situation is dismal. Since the start of the new year, one league win has been picked up, and even that wasn’t convincing as an Abdul Fatawu wonder goal stole three points. Outside of that, seven defeats have come with just three draws. It’s relegation form, and it’s coming in the worst way possible. The group of players isn’t this poor, but it just seems like no manager will be able to get better performances out of them. Successive relegations could be the nail in the coffin for King Power, especially as supporter apathy is at an all-time high.
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Furthermore, the tactics haven’t made enough of a difference. Whilst City are able to frustrate teams better, they still suffer from their own mistakes. For instance at Boro, Okoli’s pass was cut out, which led to a counter-attack, where the home side scored. Similarly, the first half against Stoke was a disaster with the Foxes lucky not to be two or three goals down. Even the equaliser from the Potters came from Leicester mistakes, as the runner wasn’t tracked.
To make matters worse, this group of players struggles to create chances. It’s been a major weakness for City ever since Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left as that quality is yet to be replaced. However, even players that have flourished at this level or higher aren’t producing the goods. Stephy Mavididi springs to mind as his goal drought continues. Jordan James being back is a positive in this aspect, but it’s not sustainable to rely on individual brilliance. This is something City have really come to realise as the season continues.
Leicester City Team News
In recent weeks, City’s injury issues have been reduced. Both Jordan James and Lascelles were on the bench recently, with James ‘fit enough’ to start this weekend. In terms of negatives, the likes of Harry Souttar, Aaron Ramsey, Hamza Choudhury, and Jannik Vestergaard are all out for a sustained period. Meanwhile, Begovic has an ankle strain, which he suffered during last week’s warmup. This is expected to leave the veteran keeper out for a few weeks.
Leicester Predicted Lineup vs Ipswich Town
GK: Jakub Stolarczyk
RB: Ricardo Pereira
RCB: Jamaal Lascelles
LCB: Ben Nelson
LB: Luke Thomas
DM: Harry Winks
DM: Jordan James
RW: Abdul Fatawu
AM: Divine Mukasa
LW: Stephy Mavididi
ST: Patson Daka