Ndidi set to miss Wolves through injury
THE winter break is over and Leicester City are preparing for the final third of the campaign. But who will be the most important players for the run-in?
We’ve updated our squad power rankings – last compiled at the back end of December – to see who will be key over the next few months.
Our power rankings are a periodic assessment we carry out of how important players in City’s first team squad have been over the past few weeks – and the impact they are likely to have for the rest of the season.
25 DANIEL AMARTEY
THE Ghanaian has had more surgery on his ankle and is expected to spend the rest of the season recovering.
24 ELDIN JAKUPOVIC
WITHOUT a first-team appearance in 18 months, Jakupovic is very unlikely to make one anytime soon.
23 MATTY JAMES
(UP TWO)
FIT again, with a few Under-23s outings under his belt, and back in the Premier League squad, but games will be hard to come by with plenty of midfielders ahead of him in the pecking order.
22 DANNY WARD
(DOWN ONE)
AS City progress deeper in the FA Cup, Ward will have fewer opportunities. He may play against Birmingham next month, but that could be his last appearance of the season, provided Schmeichel stays fit.
21 WES MORGAN
(DOWN FOUR)
WITH new recruit Ryan Bennett possessing Premier League experience, competence in a back three, and younger legs, Morgan may drop down to fourth-choice centre-half for the rest of the season.
20 PAPY MENDY
FEW could have predicted that Mendy would play a role of any significance for City this season after a few months out of the picture, but he stood up well when called upon during the busy Christmas period. With the schedule easing, he will fall back to the fringes.
19 CHRISTIAN FUCHS
FUCHS has made no missteps when he has filled in for Chilwell, but the back-up full-backs will rarely be required down the stretch.
18 JAMES JUSTIN (=)
LIKE Fuchs, Justin has not put a foot wrong, and showed his attacking qualities in the recent FA Cup win over Brentford. His ability to play on both sides puts him just ahead of the Austrian.
17 MARC ALBRIGHTON
(DOWN TWO)
THE title-winning winger has not played a single minute over the past five league games, perhaps a sign that his star is falling.
WILFRED Ndidi is unlikely to be fit for City’s trip to Wolves because of a reaction to his knee operation.
The midfielder had surgery on an injured meniscus in January and returned to action just 13 days later, against West Ham, and then again at Villa Park in the League Cup semi.
But Ndidi’s knee proved too sore for him to play in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea just before the winter break, and he is still struggling even after a week off.
“He’s probably going to be doubtful for this game,” Rodgers said of Ndidi, left, at his weekly press conference.
“He came back very quickly and played in the West Ham game and the Aston Villa game, but he’s had a little reaction to his operation.
“We’ll see how he is. I think he’ll be doubtful for this game, but hopefully okay for the following one (against Manchester City).”
Fellow defensive midfielder Papy Mendy also remains out with his own knee problem, so Hamza Choudhury is likely to fill the position in front of the back four.
There is some good injury news for City though.
Wes Morgan is available again after missing the meeting with Chelsea.
The skipper is understood to have visited hospital for scans after reporting a migraine following the FA Cup win over Brentford, but he is fit to travel to Molineux, and he’s likely to be on the bench as centre-back cover, with new loan signing Ryan Bennett ineligible to play against his parent club.