'Weapons' - Table-topping boss hails Leeds United quintet with Whites warning and team must

Championship leaders Leicester and third-placed Leeds will lock horns in a top-of-the-table clash at the King Power this evening, which Maresca’s side are approaching sat 14 points clear of the Whites. Maresca, though, has served up praise for Daniel Farke’s visitors, picking out attacking quintet Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe, Crysencio Summervile, Dan James and Willy Gnonto as particular threats that his side must deal with.

The Foxes boss has highlighted the must for “many passes” before Leicester’s own attacks, and warned that there is more to Leeds than just attacking on the counter.

“We know that they are good in transition,” said the Leicester boss. “I don’t think they are only good in transition. In general, they are a very good team. With Rutter, Piroe, Summerville, James, Gnonto, they are very quick and very good in transition.

“We need to be careful. More than ever, it’s a game where we need to give many passes before we attack. Because if we attack quick, they are going to attack as quick and that’s not the game we are looking for.”

Speaking at his pre-match press conference and as quoted by Leicester’s official website, Maresca added: “For us, it is just one more game that we are going to try and do our best in and use our weapons to prepare in the way we want to play, but nothing more than that.

“Our preparation will be the same as the previous one. We’re going to try to have a plan to see how we need to attack, to see how we need to defend when they want to attack us, and see how we can avoid transition.

“At the end, it’s the same schedule that we use every game. It’s a special night for sure for the fans; for us it’s a special night because it’s a game. I don’t see any difference from the Sunderland game, for instance. We going to prepare for the game in the best way we can as we always try to win the game.

“We’re happy that the fans can enjoy the moment. We are happy and we appreciate it, but we are in November so hopefully we can always repeat the same until January, February, with the same amount of points and distance, but we know there is a long way to go.”