Smith defends his Leicester players while Everton hope for Calvert-Lewin boost
Dean Smith defended his under-fire Leicester City players as they battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
Leicester go to Newcastle on Monday knowing their topflight future hangs in the balance as they sit two points from safety with two games left.
If Everton win at Wolves and Nottingham Forest avoid defeat against Arsenal over the weekend Leicester will need to win at St James’ Park or they will go down.
The Foxes are currently second bottom on 30 points, two behind Everton in 17th and four shy of Forest in 16th.
The squad – with one win in their last 14 games – has been accused of lacking fight in their relegation battle but Smith has given them his support.
“I don’t need to pay homage to the players, I’ve inherited a squad and not brought any of them in,” said the manager, who saw the Foxes limp to a 3-0 defeat against Liverpool at the King Power Stadium on Monday. “I can openly criticise them if I need to, I don’t think I need to and I choose not to because the work ethic I see is there. The numbers I get from my performance department prove to me it’s there.
“The thing which is missing is keeping clean sheets and making fewer mistakes in the defensive third. It’s out of our hands because if other teams get the results there’s nothing we can do. We just have to concentrate on Newcastle and get the win. If we get the performance we are capable of and minimise mistakes, not a problem.”
Forest manager Steve Cooper wants his side to take advantage of having their fate in their own hands as they close in on Premier League survival.
Seven points from the last four games have seen them move three points clear of the drop zone and their safety could be achieved this weekend if they earn a positive result against the Gunners and results go their way elsewhere.
“Wherever you are in the league – it was a different situation last year – when you’re playing for something you always want it to be in your hands and we have managed to create that for now and that’s what we’ve got to try and capitalise on.
“A lot of hard work and good things need to happen to keep it that way. We’ve got to have the confidence and motivation to make it that way.
“There’s a mini-league going on in our part of the table and we want to stay as a minimum where we are now. There’s so much that can happen in the next two games and we’ve got to concentrate on what we can control, concentrate on the present, giving our best every day. We are all doing that and that gives us the best chance.”
Meanwhile, Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to rejoin training on Friday ahead of their crucial trip to Molineux.
The England international was replaced at half-time of last weekend’s defeat by Manchester City due to a groin problem, and having been given a reduced workload this week, manager Sean Dyche is ready to bring him back into the squad.
“He’s had a few down days and it is looking more promising so he will be with us again tomorrow,” Dyche said of the attacker who has scored two goals in 16 Premier League appearances this season. “He has come through the last couple of days well.”