Iheanacho gets Leicester City tough task
The Nigerian scored on his only start this season, away at Brighton,
Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho has been given the tough task of replacing Leicester City in-form star James Maddison earned a one-game ban.
Leicester manager Brendan Rogers believes Iheanacho, Dennis Praet, or Ayoze Perez has what it takes to Maddison’s boots.
Maddison was booked for simulation in the dying embers of the goalless draw with Crystal Palace, earning himself a suspension that sees him miss the fixture against Leeds on Thursday night. There is no obvious candidate to take his role with manager Brendan Rodgers naming a trio of players who could step up.
Iheanacho, Praet, and Perez have each only started one Premier League game this season, with Rodgers settled on his midfield and attack despite the poor run of results. Victory over Leeds would not be enough for City to escape the bottom three.
“We have a number of players who can play that position,” Rodgers said at his press conference on Tuesday. “Kels can come in and do that role. Dennis Praet can play that position well.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has backed Graham Potter for success at Chelsea after his ‘fantastic’ work at Brighton but warned him of a different level of pressure.
“Because of how we have to structure it on that side, it’s with a midfield player coming in and then our width and running ability in behind comes from Tim [Castagne]. Then Youri [Tielemans] is the passer in behind that. You’ve got Ayo Perez who can play that role as well. So there’s a few options we can look at.”
For Iheanacho, who played off the right during his cameo in the weekend’s draw with Crystal Palace, this could be the opportunity fans feel he deserves.
The Nigerian scored on his only start this season, away at Brighton, while he has only been in the line-up 14 times from 48 Premier League matches since finishing as the club’s top scorer in the 20-21 season.
