DEFENCE CRISIS
EVANS AND SOYUNCU BOTH PICKED UP INJURIES ON INTERNATIONAL DUTY, SO FOFANA AND MORGAN MAY FACE VILLA
LEICESTER City are keeping their fingers crossed they’ve not been plunged into another defensive injury crisis.
Both of their main centrebacks, Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans, will be assessed on their return to club training after potential injuries on international duty.
Soyuncu did not feature in any of Turkey’s three games over the past week, with his international manager Senol Gunes confirming that a hamstring problem kept him out of the 2-2 draw with Serbia on Wednesday, which the 24-year-old watched from the stands.
In Oslo, Evans was substituted at half-time in Northern Ireland’s 1-0 loss to Norway, with suggestions he had a groin injury.
Evans was the only Northern Ireland player to retain their starting spot for the game.
The 32-year-old was on the pitch for 255 minutes over the week, having only played 170 minutes for City so far this campaign. The pair will now be checked over by City’s medical staff, but if both are struggling ahead of Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa, Brendan Rodgers will be left with another dilemma, having been forced to deploy Wilfred Ndidi as a centre-half during the opening two matches of the campaign.
Daniel Amartey is also doubtful having limped off against West Ham a fortnight ago, leaving Wesley Fofana and Wes Morgan as the likely choices at centre-back.
Seventeen years separate the pair, with teenager Fofana awaiting his debut following a £32 million summer move from SaintEtienne.
Meanwhile, Morgan, 36, is the oldest outfield player to have featured in the Premier League this term, with the skipper in his 10th season at the King Power Stadium.
Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira will also definitely miss Sunday’s clash as they continue to recover from long-term injuries.