TREBLE AND STRIFE
Maresca: No surprise the top three have wobbled... this league is so tough
ENZO MARESCA insists he is not surprised the Championship top three have stumbled badly as the finishing line draws near.
Maresca’s Foxes appeared nailed on for the title in the first half of the campaign.
But an alarming run of six defeats in the last 10 league games has left them clinging on to second spot.
Leicester are not alone in losing their way with Ipswich and Leeds also experiencing an alarming wobble.
After back-to-back losses to relegation-threatened Millwall and Plymouth, Leicester face a West Brom side today desperate to boost their own play-off ambitions.
And Maresca says that helps explain why there have been so many shock results involving the leading group.
The City boss said: “It’s not random that in the last two games we have lost, Leeds got just one point, Ipswich got just two points.
“Everyone is playing for something. It will be tough.
“We know they are very intense off the ball. They have played all season with a line of four. Their structure doesn’t modify the way they work off the ball.
“Fortunately we play at home and we have the boost from our fans. When they help us like they did against Norwich and Birmingham, it’s like we have one extra player.”
Maresca admits this is a time when the influence of his senior players is vital.
But he could be forced to face West Brom without key players Jamie Vardy, Ricardo Pereira and Kiernan Dewsburyhall.
All three have injury doubts hanging over them leaving Maresca with the prospect of being forced to shuffle his pack.
And Maresca (top) admits the absence of one or more of the trio will come as a huge blow as his side attempts to get their promotion challenge back on track.
He said: “We have some doubts about Jamie, who had a kick during the week, and Ricky because of the amount of games after the injury.
“Kiernan has been unwell for a few days this week.
“It’s very significant. For Jamie and Ricky, it’s more a physical problem. Kiernan has been just unwell.
“We’ll see. We have still 24 hours. We’ll see if we can have some of them back for the game.
“I don’t think Ricky has struggled this year. He has played more minutes than the last three years.
“He has been fantastic in the way he has played with us, and with his physicality also.
“It’s normal with all this amount of games that he can have some problems, but he has always played. We’ll see for tomorrow.”