Manager of Leeds United's promotion rivals bemoans 'not easy' schedule mid rotation warning for tough clash

Enzo Maresca will be forced into significant rotation when his Leicester City side go to Millwall on Tuesday due to his side’s upcoming fixture congestion.

Leicester face a crucial period of football after returning to the top of the Championship with Saturday’s late 2-1 win over Birmingham City. The Foxes, who also have a game in hand over Ipswich Town and Leeds United, travel to Millwall on Tuesday before heading to Plymouth Argyle on Friday evening, having been picked for live television broadcast.

Similarly to opposite number Daniel Farke at Leeds, Maresca has generally stuck with a trusted core of starters, with six players starting at least 36 of their 40 Championship matches. But after a taxing win over Birmingham that needed a late Stephy Mavididi goal, and ahead of a long trip south to Plymouth on Friday, Maresca will use Tuesday’s clash at the Den to mix things up a little.

“Yeah, absolutely, for sure we’re going to make rotation,” Maresca said. “We have three games in one week. It’s not easy. We’re going to make some rotation for sure. We’re going to try to manage a bit the energy.”

As with every team, large-scale rotation presents a risk for Leicester, especially as they seem to have rediscovered the winning rhythm following a poor run of form. Maresca’s men were outside of the automatic promotion places for a short while but after seeing both Ipswich and Leeds lose on Saturday, they returned to top spot.

And a trip to Millwall will not be for the faint-hearted, with Neil Harris’ side fighting for their lives towards the bottom of the Championship. Four games without a win has seen them drop further, but the only home game in that run was an impressive 1-1 draw against likely play-off contenders West Brom and Harris is yet to be beaten at the Den since returning.

“Until the end, for us but for all the clubs, every game is important because every team is playing for some target,” Maresca added of the threat Millwall pose. “When you are playing to survive, it’s always a boost. We need to be ready for Tuesday, it will be a battle for sure, with long balls and second balls. If we are not ready, we can struggle.”