Rodgers rage after he drops top trio over Covid breach Some things are more important than football
BRENDAN Rodgers admitted Leicester’s Champions League challenge had been undermined by players who breached Covid protocols. Playmaker James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury were left out of yesterday’s defeat to fellow European hopefuls West Ham having reportedly broken the guidelines. David Moyes’ Hammers went on to inflict only Leicester’s second away defeat of the season, with their 3-2 victory lifting them back into the top four, just a point behind the Foxes. Rodgers would not confirm the identity of the players, but the clearly disappointed former Celtic boss said: ‘I can tell you there was a breach. ‘My objective when coming to Leicester was to create standards on and off the pitch. ‘The standards fell way below what we would expect, especially at this stage of the season when we are challenging and fighting. They fell well below that. ‘The guys would have been in the squad but as a consequence they weren’t. It wasn’t ideal but that’s how strongly I felt. ‘We were coming into a very important game but some things are more important than football. You have to respect what the nation is going through and what our values are. ‘From a personal perspective, I was bitterly disappointed. But it’s a mistake they’ve made and I won’t hold it against them.’ Rodgers, whose team fell out of the Champions League places at the tail end of last season, confirmed the players concerned will be back in consideration for next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton. Jesse Lingard scored twice in the first half, the opener a superb volley from the edge of the box, and Jarrod Bowen added a third just after the break to put West Ham in control. But the Hammers have found 3-0 leads hard to hold on to lately, having been pegged back to 3-3 by Arsenal and clinging on for a 3-2 win at Wolves on Monday. This time Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice to set up another tense finish, and Wesley Fofana headed a last-gasp chance wide to the relief of manager Moyes. ‘I’m disappointed with the way we finished the game,’ said the Scot, who has spearheaded an incredible West Ham revival this season. ‘We’ve got to get out of the habit of going 3-0 up and conceding goals’. ‘That’s really important and we’ve got to do something about it. But, overall, I’m thrilled with the results we’re getting. ‘If before the game you’d offered me 3-2 against the team third in the league and going for the Champions League, I’d have snapped your hand off. ‘There’s a real belief that we can go and win games and we’ve got players who can do that.’ Lingard has now scored eight goals in nine appearances since joining on loan from Manchester United, and Moyes added: ‘He has been crucial. ‘I didn’t expect him to get quite so many goals so long may it continue.’