Leicester City will be hosting Liverpool next under grim circumstances as the club announced the shocking decision to sack their title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri last night. After the board announced unwavering support for their legendary manager earlier this month, not many expected this to happen.
The assistant coach, Craig Shakespeare, will be taking charge of the game as a struggling Foxes side make another go of dropping away from the relegation zone. Leicester City took the Premier League title by 10 points last season, but have won just five top-flight games this campaign, and could become the first defending champions to be relegated since 1938.
They are in the 17th place in the league table with 21 points and their home form has been surprisingly good comparing to their away form. They have collected 18 of their 21 points from home. Although nothing is going to be the same for Leicester again, here is how we expect them to the line-up.
Predicted Leicester City Line-up vs Liverpool
Defence
Although starting the midweek’s game against Sevilla will give the players time to recover from the fatigue, we expect the new boss at the helm to stick with his strongest eleven against Liverpool. Kasper Schmeichel will take his position under the bar. The Danish shot-stopper was brilliant away at Spain and Shakespeare will need his enigma against Liverpool too.
Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson is expected to start on the flanks. Fuchs will have a tough job to cover for Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s main man. The central defensive duo will be Robert Huth and Wes Morgan. The repeated failures of the centre-halves have been the biggest concern for Leicester City this season, and the new boss will expect to work his way around it.
Midfield
Onyinye Ndidi and Danny Drinkwater is likely to start in the advanced midfield. The midfielders looked quite lively against a high-pressing Sevilla side and it was Drinkwater, whose perfect grounded pass led to the all- important away goal for the Foxes that very much kept them in the two-legged tie.
The pivot position is likely to be taken by Daniel Amartey. The Ghanaian defensive midfielder came off the bench in the midweek’s game and is expected to start this time.
Attack
We expect Riyad Mahrez to push on the right flank again. The Algerian international started as the number 10 last game and wasn’t that impactful. The left flank is likely to be taken by Marc Albrighton. Ahmed Musa has been tremendously ineffective so far and we expect him to be dropped. Jamie Vardy will spearhead the attack. The English forward will hope to have got back his scoring touch after the away goal.
Albrighton – Vardy – Mahrez
Ndidi – Amartey – Drinkwater
Fuchs – Huth – Morgan – Simpson
Schmeichel
