After another Premier League defeat in the weekend to relegation-battling Sunderland, defending Premier League champions Leicester City will look to find refuge in their Champions League fixture yet again, where the Foxes have surprisingly retained their previous season’s form.
Leicester have already won the Group and this match is unimportant in terms of points. However, Ranieri would like to keep the club’s unbeaten form in the intra-continental tournament intact. Their opponents, FC Porto, will be needing a win to assure qualification to the knockout stages as the Portuguese giants trail FC Copenhagen and a draw might not be enough.
Defence
Kasper Schmeichel is still out with a fractured hand and Ron-Robert Zieler, who is the second-best option Ranieri has under the bar, will take over the Dane in goal.
Ranieri is expected to have the same back four for their tricky trip to FC Porto. And although the back line has faltered frustratingly in the domestic league, they have surprisingly been near-perfect in the UCL. Leicester’s defence has conceded only 1 goal in 5 group stage matches despite letting in 24 goals in the league. Their confidence remains strangely unshaken.
The left-back position will be taken by Christian Fuchs. The central pair of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan will once again take their place at the heart of the defence. Huth, however, is one card away from a suspension and Ranieri would never want him to be unavailable for the first leg of knockout stages. Simpson will take the right-back position.
Midfield
The availability of Danny Drinkwater will be a huge boost for Ranieri. He is currently serving a three-match suspension in the domestic league, which forced Ranieri to play Daniel Amartey alongside Andy King in the deep midfield in the weekend. Drinkwater provides a certain discipline in the middle of the park that others don’t.
The successful pair of Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez will take their position on the flanks. Mahrez has been in great goal-scoring touch in Champions League. He had scored a penalty in each of his last three matches prior to the weekend’s defeat to Sunderland.
Attack
Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki is expected to start at the front. With Slimani in danger of incurring a suspension for the knockout stages, Ranieri is not expected to start him.
