Leicester City Predicted Lineup vs Sheffield United
How Leicester City Have Lined Up Recently
In the clash against Southampton, Marti Cifuentes was forced into making changes amid a growing injury crisis. As second-choice keeper, Asmir Begovic continued his run of starts due to Jakub Stolarczyk’s lingering injury. With Luke Thomas’ suspension and fitness issues preventing Ricardo Pereira from playing in midweek, youngster Olabade Aluko was rewarded with his first senior start. In addition to this, with both Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson out, Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard were once again at the heart of defence, alongside Hamza Choudhury on the right.
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Meanwhile, the midfield trio that delivered wins against Norwich and Stoke were once again trusted. Harry Winks partnered Oliver Skipp in the double pivot, whilst Jordan James started in the number 10 role. Out wide, Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi started but couldn’t reignite their form against Stoke, which, alongside Aluko’s red card, led to them both replaced at half-time. To cap off the lineup, Patson Daka led the line in consecutive matches after scoring his first goal in over 300 days against the Potters.
Leicester City’s Recent Form And Tactics
To say that the season so far is a disaster is a fair statement due to Leicester’s league position. Whilst they still sit just three points from the play-offs, it seems to be due to a lack of quality across the division as opposed to some great form. Sitting 15th after 17 games, and heading into one of the toughest periods of the season, could Cifuentes’ dismissal come soon?
Against the Saints, it was the Spaniard to blame once again. Throwing 19-year-old Aluko into one of the toughest games all term, in hindsight, seems like a recipe for disaster. The full-back was in the book early on due to a lack of mobility in the backline, forcing a challenge. Just under half an hour later and he was off due to another foul, which left the Foxes handicapped for the next two-thirds of the game.
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Aluko later accepted the red mist descending, but Cifuentes also has to take some responsibility. The youngster’s lack of inclusion this year is baffling, especially when he may have to play against a talented winger like Tom Fellows. If minutes came earlier in the season, either in the cup or off the bench, then this sudden start may have gone better. Furthermore, questioning the handling of the club’s young talent is also fair, as Jeremy Monga hasn’t featured in any of the last four games. Whilst the 16-year-old is raw, bringing him off the bench should be the bare minimum due to the interest from clubs around Europe.
Southampton ended up easing to victory with centre-back Taylor Harwood Bellis delivering a brace. Another dismal evening for the travelling supporters, who are yet to have witnessed a complete 90-minute performance from this side. Pressure will continue to grow on Cifuentes, and it can’t be a surprise if he is sacked soon.
Leicester City Injuries to Consider
As confirmed by the Spaniard, injuries will affect his squad for this weekend’s clash. Whilst Stolarczyk will undergo a fitness test, there is an expectation that Okoli will miss out on another four to six weeks. Aside from this, long-term injuries for Victor Kristiansen, Harry Souttar and Aaron Ramsey bulk up the growing list of players out.
Leicester Predicted Lineup vs Sheffield United
GK: Asmir Begovic
RB: Ricardo Pereira
RCB: Wout Faes
LCB: Jannik Vestergaard
LB: Luke Thomas
DM: Jordan James
DM: Harry Winks
RW: Abdul Fatawu
AM: Bobby Decordova Reid
LW: Stephy Mavididi
ST: Patson Daka
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