Puel: City should have given us more respect
Claude Puel believes Leicester City should have been shown more respect by Manchester City in their late attempt to sign Riyad Mahrez.
The midfielder is back in the Foxes squad after a self-imposed 10-day absence following the breakdown of a proposed move to the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League leaders failed to match Leicester’s valuation of the player, understood to be near the £80million mark, and talks collapsed on the final day of the January transfer window, with Mahrez having submitted a transfer request.
“We had some solicitation of another club, and to make solicitation just one or two days before the end of the transfer window, I don’t know if it’s normal,” said the Leicester boss.
“I cannot suffer this situation because other teams make this thing against us. It was important to stay united within the club, the fans, the players.
“We don’t have a lot of players with the same quality like Riyad. For some other teams, it is not a difficulty to replace their players.
“We’re not a squad like some great teams at the top of the table. We need to manage better and we need also perhaps some respect from others.”
Mahrez may start tonight’s FA Cup fifthround tie against Sheffield United, with Puel vowing to pick a strong team.
“Of course it will be a crucial game for us and I will pick a team to win,” he said. “We want to get as far as we can in the cup and it will be a strong team, like the last was.
“The game against Sheffield United will be tough, they are a good team. It is important to respect any opponent, to see the final you have to play and expect any opponent to be strong.”
Captain Wes Morgan could make his return from injury. The central defender has been out since suffering a hamstring problem on New Year’s Day but he may be back in the squad against the Blades.
Shinji Okazaki is still struggling with the knee problem that saw him miss the Premier League trip to Manchester City.
Wales midfielder David Brooks is in contention to make his long-awaited return from a bout of glandular fever for the Blades The 20-year-old scored one goal and set up another in a 45-minute cameo appearance for the Sky Bet Championship club’s under-23 team at Hull on Monday.
“David came through that great, set one up and scored, not surprised about that,” said Wilder.
“David will be (in) because of the numbers situation. Our numbers are obviously down.”
While Brooks will be available, the Blades will be without a host of other firstteam players.
Keeper Simon Moore serves the second instalment of a threegame ban, while midfielder John Fleck begins a two-match suspension. Midfielders Ryan Leonard, Ricky Holmes and Lee Evans are all cup-tied.
Meanwhile, Chelsea host Championship strugglers Hull in tonight’s other tie at Stamford Bridge.
Boss Antonio Conte misses the injured David Luiz, Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko, and plans to rotate his team with matches against Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City to follow.
“To play on Friday is good for us,” said the Italian. “Three days to try and prepare the game against Barcelona.
“I hope no replay, no. We had one against Norwich, but I hope to try and win this game and go through without a replay.”