Another 9-0? Preview by Simon Mack

Leicester City vs Southampton

Saturday 11^th January 3pm

King Power Stadium

The saints visit King Power Stadium for the second of city’s encounter with Southampton this season in the Premier League and boy do will all remember what happened the first time around.

On a windswept and rainy Friday night back in October the foxes made the trip to the south coast and annihilated their hosts by 9 goals without reply with Ayonze Perez and Jamie Vardy both scoring hat tricks. Since then the saints wounds have healed and of late an upturn in their fortunes has been to their credit. The last 3 Premier League outings have 2 wins against spurs and Chelsea to take pride in and a draw against Crystal Palace too. The saints top scorer is still Danny Ings with 15 to date this season and Southampton now sit 12^th in the table five points clear of the relegation zone.

On the injury front the Southampton’s fortunes have also improved. French full back Yan Valery is their only player unfit for selection with no return date on the horizon for the defender.

For Leicester the unusual 3pm Saturday match up against Southampton comes along on the back of a hectic January to date. The foxes most recent outing was a home Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Aston Villa that ended with a 1-1 draw after the game of 2 halves saw city dominate the 2^nd period and come from behind to level the match. Previously a largely changed eleven overcame Wigan once again at home in a routine 2-0 victory that saw the unusual inclusion of Harvey Barnes as the focal point of the foxes attacking efforts along with Filip Benkovic getting his first senior start of the campaign.

Just prior to the foxes mid-week cup stalemate the foxes defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi picked up a knee injury in training and not only did that cause a dilemma for city manager Brendan Rodgers in terms of team selection it has left city without one of their most pivotal players of the season’s success to date. The heart-warming silver lining was fellow midfield general Hamza Choudhury’s outstanding performance in the second half of the villa game which was key to the foxes getting a draw. Hamza seems sure to deputize for his Nigerian counterpart in the weekend clash against the saints and in a further worry for the city faithful James Maddison has been visiting the club’s medical team too this week. The foxes creator took a blow to the head during the midweek cup clash and looked visibly dazed by the knock and had tests post match. City boss Rodgers has stated that Maddison is Ok and has returned to training but it remains to be seen if the England international is OK enough to start the weekend’s game.

Wes Morgan remains side-lined for at least another week with the groin injury he picked up against Wigan whilst Matty James now has game time with the U23’s under his belt and is nearing the end of his long road to fitness once again. Right back Ricardo suffered a cut to his head in the game against Villa too but this won’t prohibit him from playing a full part in Saturday’s events.

The dilemmas on Rodgers mind for this one will be to revert back to a flat back four or persist with the 3 centre back 5 man midfield / wing back system that he’s deployed on more than one occasion of late. In addition Kelechi Inheanacho came off the bench and worked his magic once against against the villains scoring the goal that got the foxes a draw and he might be in the gaffer’s mind for a start alongside ever present top scoring Jamie Vardy who played the Nigerian in so sweetly for that levelling goal. In midfield you’d think that Choudhury’s sublime second half performance against Villa has earned him the opportunity to fill Ndidi’s boots just in front of the defence and that leaves its own quandary of who makes way for the city academy product in the middle of the park. Mid-week it was Dennis Praet that was taken off at half time but Youri Tielemans and James Maddison have both looked jaded at times of late and Rodgers may opt to rest one or the other. Marc Albrighton is another who has had limited chances yet when he gets a chance of game time always shows his worth for the city cause and many fans are calling for a start for the Leicester league winner. Harvey Barnes has also been in and out of the starting line up in a variety of positions and having not been used in the mid-week semi-final may well find himself on the starting team sheet come game time.

City have had to endure quite of a few of the leagues lower placed sides visiting King Power Stadium and playing very deep in an attempt to stifle the foxes hugely impressive creative capabilities and it wouldn’t surprise me if the saints are cautious especially after the side’s previous encounter. Those who have come and mixed defensive duties with appropriate well times advances into the city half (such as Norwich) have obtained more from their toil against the league’s 2^nd placed side and for me it would be fantastic to see a positive flowing encounter rather than a saints final 3^rd log jam of players come Saturday with the city boys trying to thread their numerous attacks through a wall of bodies.

Leicester City possible line up:

Schmeichel, Ricardo, Soyuncu, Evans, Chilwell, Choudhury, Maddison, Tielemans, Perez, Barnes, Vardy

Southampton possible line up:

McCarthy, Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Long, Redmond, Ings