How injury-hit Evans is shaping up for the clash with his old club

WITH THE LOOMING, CAN CENTRAL DEFENDER SHAKE OFF

LEICESTER City defender Jonny Evans will be hoping to face his former club when Leicester City host Manchester United on Saturday.

The vice-captain has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, a problem in the foot, since he limped out of the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium back in May.

Over recent weeks, Evans has been in and out of the side as he continues to deal with the problem though it was illness that kept him out of the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.

Here is all the latest on the 33-yearold’s injury situation.

WHEN IS HE DUE BACK?

There has been no set date given, but Brendan Rodgers said Evans missed City’s last game (against Crystal Palace) through illness rather than injury.

That suggests he could return as soon as next Saturday when Leicester face Manchester United at the King Power Stadium.

It could be the case that the international break provides Evans a good chance to build his fitness steadily ahead of a return to action after a stop-start few weeks for the former United man.

FITNESS DECISION

Evans played no part in Northern Ireland’s 2-0 defeat by Switzerland in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday. As the Mercury went to press, Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough Evans had not given up hope on the centre-back joining the 26-man squad for tomorrow’s trip to Bulgaria. However, Baraclough has insisted that no “unneccesary risk” would be taken and that the player would make the final call on his availability.

FALSE START

Evans started his first game since the FA Cup final in the 2-2 Europa League draw against Napoli last month, but was withdrawn at halftime.

He played the full 90 minutes of the Carabao Cup tie against Championship side Millwall, wearing the captain’s armband for the 2-0 win.

Brendan Rodgers said: “He’s a top defender and when he plays we are better. We just have to manage it.”

As a Man United player he endured injuries that put him out of action for a combined total of 149 days in 2014

INJURY HISTORY

Although a lengthy spell on the treatment table is always a concern for players in their 30s, Evans is made of stern stuff.

As a Manchester United player, he endured ankle and calf injuries that put him out of action for a combined total of 149 days in 2014.

For Leicester, he has missed games through thigh muscle strains and injuries to his toe, back and hip. The four games he has missed this season is his longest absence since joining the club in the summer of 2018.

MANCHESTER UNITED GAME

HIS WORST NIGGLE SINCE HE JOINED THE CLUB?