PRAET MAY BE OUT FOR THREE MONTHS
MIDFIELDER’S HAMSTRING INJURY MAY CHANGE CITY’S TRANSFER WINDOW STRATEGY
LEICESTER City will have to weigh up their approach to transfers, potential exits, and loan recalls if Dennis Praet’s hamstring injury proves to be serious.
City are sweating on the fitness of the Belgian midfielder after he pulled up in the final few minutes of the 4-0 win at Stoke, the 26-year-old immediately gripping his leg and signalling to the bench after stretching to reach a Youri Tielemans pass.
This season, Timothy Castagne and Daniel Amartey both missed two months of action with hamstring injuries, and if Praet is given a similar diagnosis, City will have to consider how they plug the gap he leaves behind.
Praet has started 14 of City’s 25 fixtures across all competitions this season, having played a number of roles, including as a number 10, as an inverted right winger, and as a deeper midfield player, and it’s the latter where City might look short.
Hamza Choudhury has been linked with a move away, and could go on loan, despite Rodgers preferring that, if he is to go, it is on a permanent deal.
However, there could now be a reluctance to let him leave for fear of further weakening City’s options in midfield.
An injured Praet and a departing Choudhury would leave City with just Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi and Papy Mendy as Rodgers’ options for the two deeper midfield roles.
While previously saying his squad was deep enough to cope if Choudhury, or Demarai Gray or Islam Slimani, were to leave, Rodgers did admit that stance could change, and so City could dip into the market to strengthen.
Another, cheaper option would be to recall Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from his loan spell at Luton Town.
The 22-year-old midfielder has been impressive with the Championship club, winning their November player of the month away and producing more man-of-the-match performances since.
However, Hatters boss Nathan Jones believes it would unsettle DewsburyHall if he was recalled and did not feature regularly in the City team.
Asked if he knows that DewsburyHall will definitely stay at Luton for the whole of his loan spell, Jones said: “No, we haven’t had those assurances, but I wouldn’t envisage anything happening.
“If he is going to go back to Leicester to play in their first-team, fine.
“If he’s not then why would you take him from an environment that’s educating him and that’s he’s really doing well in and pushing forward?
“That’s why we don’t like taking loans normally, it has to be a special case because we are enhancing his reputation and learning for someone else.
“We haven’t had assurances but I would be surprised if we were to because he’s in a very, very good place. Why unsettle him?”
Rodgers used Dewsbury-Hall as more of an attacking midfielder in pre-season.
After signing him on loan, Jones said he planned to use the Shepshed-born star there too, but most of his 16 Luton appearances have come at the base of the midfield.