With a goalless draw away from home against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, Leicester City broke the Champions League defensive record set by Parma (1997/98) and Malaga (2012/13) by becoming the first club in the competition to keep a clean sheet in each of their first four games.
Previously, the Italian club along with the Spanish outfit held the record of not conceding a goal in their first 3 games. The English club matched it and bettered it on the night at Copenhagen but unfortunately for the Foxes, it wasn’t the only thing that was broken on the night.
Keeper Kasper Schmeichel, whose heroics ensured yet another clean sheet for the visitors suffered a broken hand in the first half of the game. Apparently, nobody, not even Schmeichel himself, knew he was nursing a broken right hand when he sprawled full-length to deny FC Copenhagen striker Andreas Cornelius with 10 seconds of normal time left.
A scan after the game revealed that the Dane had suffered a fracture in his hand during the first half of the game. Remarkably, the shot-stopper managed to complete the full game and earn his team a point. He is likely to be out for some time now, though.
His injury would be a very big blow for Claudio Ranieri as it has occurred when the keeper has been in such outstanding form. In the Premier League, Leicester City, after a very bad start, have slowly started to turn things around with 4 points from their last two games. Despite the Foxes shipping in 116 goals from their 10 games, Schmeichel has been a player who has managed to maintain his reputation of being one of the finest shot-stoppers of the league with his outstanding saves.
With the team on the brink of Champions League qualification and trying to turn things around in the league, the absence of Schmeichel might have a big impact on the results for Ranieri and his men. Backup keeper Ron-Robert Zieler has looked unconvincing so far and in his four appearances has already conceded 9 goals with 4 goals each against Chelsea and Manchester United.
The German needs to really do a lot better if he wants to stake a claim for a starting berth and help the Foxes embark on a positive run of results in the coming days with Schmeichel facing a lengthy spell out on the sidelines.
