'Very, very important player' - Brendan Rodgers on major Leicester City boost ahead of Leeds United clash

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping to have as many as four players back available for Sunday's Premier League clash against Leeds United at Elland Road.
By Lee Sobot
Published 5th Nov 2021, 14:27 BST
Updated 5th Nov 2021, 14:28 BST
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The Foxes have been battling against a sickness bug which forced James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Jannik Vestergaard to miss Thursday night's Europa League clash at home to Spartak Moscow.

James Justin has also been hit with the bug but has only just returned to group training following an ACL injury.

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Maddison, Barnes, Vestergaard and Justin joined injured trio Ricardo Pereira, Marc Albrighton and Wesley Fofana on the sidelines against Spartak, Fofana out until at least the new year having fractured his fibula in the pre-season friendly against Villareal.

FOXES RETURN: For key Leicester City player Wilfred Ndidi, left, in Thursday night's 1-1 draw at home to Spartak Moscow, pictured as Jonny Evans, right, keeps tabs on Aleksandr Lomovitskiy, centre. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.FOXES RETURN: For key Leicester City player Wilfred Ndidi, left, in Thursday night's 1-1 draw at home to Spartak Moscow, pictured as Jonny Evans, right, keeps tabs on Aleksandr Lomovitskiy, centre. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.
FOXES RETURN: For key Leicester City player Wilfred Ndidi, left, in Thursday night's 1-1 draw at home to Spartak Moscow, pictured as Jonny Evans, right, keeps tabs on Aleksandr Lomovitskiy, centre. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.

Albrighton also remains out but Rodgers is optimistic that Maddison, Barnes and also Pereira will be back available to face Leeds, forming a quadruple boost given Thursday night's return of Wilfred Ndidi who has missed seven games with a hamstring injury.

Key holding midfielder Ndidi was named on the Foxes bench against Spartak but played the final 32 minutes of the 1-1 draw.

"Hopefully the players who were out should be back and available, Harvey and James Maddison," said Rodgers to lcfc.com.

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"Obviously, Wilf Ndidi got some game time, which is great. Ricardo Pereira should be fine also, so we should get a few players back for the weekend."

Reflecting on the return of Ndidi, Rodgers said: "He’s very, very important for us, from a defensive perspective.

"He covers a lot of space. In those defensive moments, you need that player to get back in.

"He’s a very, very important player for us and it’s great to have him back."

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Related topics:Brendan RodgersLeicester CityPremier LeagueElland Road