TRAGEDY LEFT US ALL DRAINED, SAYS EVANS
LEICESTER’S Jonny Evans admits his team-mates needed a break ahead of their return to action against Brighton today. The Foxes play the Seagulls after the international break which followed the death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in a helicopter crash last month. Manager Claude Puel said on Thursday it is time to focus on football following the tragedy and Evans conceded the squad had been mentally drained. ‘You can’t keep playing on that same high emotion every single week,’ he said. ‘Obviously every game we go into there’s a huge determination to win, but in those two games (Cardiff and Burnley) there was heightened emotion in most players and it’s very, very hard to play like that. ‘You have to keep your emotions at a certain level at the right times in games and it’s important that we do that for the rest of the season. ‘The break probably did come at a good time. It wasn’t until I’d gone away on international duty that I realised how emotionally drained and tired everyone would have felt. It was a tough couple of weeks, but I thought everyone dealt with it really well, the club as a whole and the players. Now we’ve come back it’s important for us to re-focus and continue playing well.’ Evans has overcome a knee injury after coming off against Burnley and is set to start with Harry Maguire out with his own knee problem. Jamie Vardy is a doubt with a groin issue. Leicester are three points and two places ahead of Brighton in the Premier League. ‘They’re a very good team, well organised,’ said Evans. ‘They’re very good at setpieces and Glenn Murray’s obviously been on fire the last year or so, so it’ll be a tough side to play against, especially at their stadium.’