RODGERS DROPS FOXES PARTY TRIO

WEST HAM 3 LEICESTER

BRENDAN RODGERS axed three Leicester stars for busting lockdown rules by attending a house party and said: “They fell well below the required standards.”

James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury were all left out of the 3-2 defeat at West Ham for breaching Covid protocols. And although Foxes manager Rodgers

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promised they would return to the squad for next Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton at Wembley, their absence contributed to a potentially damaging defeat in the race for Champions League football next season. Rodgers, right, did not confirm the names of his wayward stars but said: “It was a breach of the rules.

“It was a decision I made, an internal situation last weekend. It is not the standard we expect.

“They are all good guys, good lads, but we have a

standard on and off the pitch that we have to adhere to.

“The boys will rejoin the group after this game. It’s disappointing behaviour, it’s a mistake.

“They fell way below the standards we need, especially at this stage of the season where we are fighting and challenging to finish an exciting season strongly.

“I could have fined them a week’s wages, but it’s a drop in the ocean and for me it was more than that. Some things are bigger than football and you have to respect what the nation has been going through.

“From a personal perspective, I was bitterly disappointed.

“Now we have to draw a line underneath it.” Rodgers admitted Leicester did not deserve to rescue a point despite a late fightback.

He said: “For 60 minutes we were nowhere near the level we needed – we were too passive, not aggressive enough, and we made it too easy for West Ham.”