With a lack of investment and dissary behind the scenes, it comes as no surprise that Leicester City have struggled in recent weeks. Back-to-back losses on the road against Hull and Millwall marked an eight-game period, which City picked up just eight points. Subsequently, they now reside in 10th place, and it’s hard to say this hasn’t been coming. Therefore, here is the Leicester predicted lineup as they look to change their fortunes in a clash with Blackburn Rovers.
Leicester Predicted Lineup vs Blackburn Rovers
How Leicester City Have Lined Up Recently
In last weekend’s fixture at the Den, Marti Cifuentes made several changes in a bid to get his side back to winning ways. Jakub Stolarczyk, of course, remained in between the sticks and even managed to save former Foxes target Mihailo Ivanovic’s penalty. One of the alterations came to the centre-back partnership of Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes, as the latter was ousted for Caleb Okoli. Likewise, the dropping of Hamza Choudhury for skipper Ricardo Pereira came with little surprise. Despite this, one of the only constants throughout this season has been Luke Thomas as left-back, as the 24-year-old has started in every game.
Read More: How Marti Cifuentes Has Developed A Clear Identity After Just Three Friendlies
Meanwhile, the double pivot also oversaw a change with Jordan James dropping back in to accompany Harry Winks. As a result, goalscorer in Hull, Aaron Ramsey, came into the number 10 role. Furthermore, rotation out wide was also key as Jeremy Monga started on the left in place of Jordan Ayew, whilst Abdul Fatawu remained on the opposite flank. Due to this, Patson Daka returned to the bench, and Ayew once again led the line.
Leicester City’s Recent Form And Tactics
To put it bluntly, the past two months of results have been disastrous. Whether it’s struggling to find goals or being open defensively, Cifuentes’ side has hit a major low. The East Midlands outfit is now in 10th place, and a stunning 11 points behind league leaders Coventry City. Considering just 12 games have been played, and little seems to have changed, it’s fair to say City are in crisis.
Read More: Marti Cifuentes: What Former QPR Manager Brings to Leicester City
Throughout the recent struggles, a multitude of issues have plagued Cifuentes’ side. Firstly, chance creation has emerged as an area where Leicester are uncompetitive. There is an over-reliance on Fatawu, which has led to the opposition constantly doubling up on him and providing little space to create. This comes as no surprise, given his standout moments against Charlton and Birmingham City; however, it is leading to him becoming less effective. Outside of the Ghanaian and James, few other players are managing to step up and create, and this is exemplified through the Foxes’ numbers forexpected goals.
Furthermore, defending is also coming under scrutiny as the blueprint to beat Leicester is clear. Preston North End and Hull expertly demonstrated the major weakness of the backline, which is transitions. Multiple times this season, the opposition has found vast amounts of space during counter-attacks, as City look to push more players forward in a bid to score. As a result, the likes of Thomas and Vestergaard, a left-sided pairing known for lacking pace, can struggle when targeted.
Read More: Predicted Lineup Last Time Out Against Millwall
A final tactical aspect hurting the Foxes is their inability to put together 90-minute performances. They often start well in games and take control, but subsequently can’t find the net and are then punished late on. On the other hand, there have also been instances of Leicester starting poorly and then chasing the game. A reason for this, leading to draws and defeats, may be due to fatigue, as trying to intensely press high for the entire game is a struggle for this group of players. This is perhaps why Enzo Maresca played a lower-tempo, more possession-focused system during his stint in the Championship, as they had to play twice most weeks.
Leicester City Injuries to Consider
As confirmed by the Spaniard, injuries will affect City’s squad for this weekend’s clash. Following an injury at the Den, Ramsey is expected to miss some weeks. Furthermore, Monga has been ill throughout the week and only returned to training on Friday. On a more positive note, Mavididi’s fitness has improved as he returned to action against Millwall.
Leicester Predicted Lineup vs Blackburn Rovers
GK: Jakub Stolarczyk
RB: Ricardo Pereira
RCB: Caleb Okoli
LCB: Jannik Vestergaard
LB: Victor Kristiansen
DM: Boubakary Soumaré
DM: Harry Winks
RW: Abdul Fatawu
AM: Jordan James
LW: Stephy Mavididi
ST: Jordan Ayew
Featured Image Credit:
IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
