Dilemmas facing Rodgers as he ponders line-up for Watford visit
MIDFIELD AND RIGHT WINGER ROLES ARE UP FOR GRABS CITY NEWS
of the football public: in this season, Caglar Soyuncu has had the best performance in the Premier League after Van Dijk,” Gundogan, a German international of Turkish parentage, told Fanatik.
“I didn’t know him before. We met when we met in matches. In addition to the Premier League games two seasons ago, we also matched with Leicester in the cup. We became competitors in many matches. “We always saw and talked to each other. We started getting to know each other. “His football understanding and character are very good. His performances for both Leicester and the national team are good.”
LEICESTER City now know the date and time that their Premier League season will restart.
But which 11 players will be on the pitch at the near-empty Vicarage Road at 12.30pm on Saturday, June 20?
Here, we take a look at City’s predicted line-up to face Nigel Pearson’s Watford, and the positions where Brendan Rodgers may take time to mull over.
Of course, this is dependent on the City squad staying fit and healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He’s been City’s number one for the best part of a decade and has been the on-field captain this season with Wes Morgan out of the side; Kasper Schmeichel will retain his place in goal when the Premier League season resumes.
Ricardo Pereira is out for the season with his knee injury, so James Justin will finally get a string of games in the starting line-up having impressed in his fleeting runouts so far.
Young right-backs Vontae Daley-Campbell and Dennis Gyamfi have been in first-team training, but Justin is well ahead in the pecking order.
The summer signing from Luton played at left-back in City’s last fixture, against Aston Villa in March, but Ben Chilwell’s knock was only minor and the England international, amid speculation over a switch to Chelsea, will take his place on the left side of defence.
CENTRE-BACKS
There are no selection dilemmas here. The Jonny Evans-Caglar Soyuncu partnership that has started 28 of City’s 29 Premier League games so far will again be picked at Watford.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Wilfred Ndidi will be selected to shield the defence as usual, but ahead of him, there is a trickier decision to make for Rodgers.
While James Maddison is very likely to take one of the number eight roles, the City boss needs to decide which of his Belgians will play alongside the England international.
Dennis Praet played against Villa and has not put a foot wrong in his City career as yet, but record signing Youri Tielemans provides greater cutting edge.
If Rodgers believes City can get by without the extra defensive security Praet brings, he will go with Tielemans, but right now, the summer signing from Sampdoria is likely to keep his place.
Harvey Barnes, a Zoom quiz answer for the past couple of months as the scorer of the Premier League’s final goal before lockdown, was in fine form and will be back on the left wing.
On the right, it’s not such an easy decision for Rodgers.
Ayoze Perez has held down the spot for much of the campaign, but Marc Albrighton has started City’s last two in all competitions, proving Rodgers was right to have faith in him with three assists in those fixtures.
Watford are organised at the back though, so Rodgers may favour Perez’s intricate feet and ghostlike runs into the box over Albrighton’s expert delivery.
STRIKER
He ended his goal drought against Aston Villa and is the Premier League’s outright leading goalscorer again.
Jamie Vardy is one goal shy of 20 for the campaign and one shy of 100 in his Premier League career, and he will be leading the line in two weeks’ time.
Predicted line-up (4-1-4-1): Schmeichel; Justin, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Ndidi; Perez, Praet, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.