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Foxes and Spurs meet midweek

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An intriguing midweek clash between two teams possessing the capability to make it into Europe if a good stretch of form arrives.

Leicester City have had all three of their league matches in January postponed due to COVID issues. Consequently, the only action their players have seen came in the 4-1 win over Watford in the FA Cup on January 8.

 

Around two weeks of rest should see Brendan Rodgers being able to field the best team possible which includes a resurgent James Maddison, hard worker Patson Daka and the midfield maestro Youri Tielemans. A win would see the Foxes cut the deficit to the top-six to just five points.

 

However, such a long rest period could also be harmful and it is really hard to gauge how Leicester will perform at home but they should be buoyed to give it their fall against a team not exactly in top form.

Spurs have had a more difficult few weeks compared to their opponents.

 

Having been unceremoniously dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea, they expressed their extreme displeasure at Arsenal and the Premier League for postponing the North London Derby. That means Antonio Conte has had a week’s time to prepare his troops for a match, victory in which would see them leapfrog the Gunners into 5th.

 

The defence has not had the best of times and a blunted attack has hardly helped matters. It is unlikely that Conte’s wishes of getting in reinforcements will be fulfilled before the match kicks off so he will have to make do with what he has at his disposal.

 

TEAM NEWS

Jamie Vardy has picked up a hamstring injury that will sideline him for more than a month. Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are away on AFCON duty so Ademola Lookman should start.

 

PROBABLE LINE-UP: Schmeichel; Albrighton, Soyuncu, Vestergaard, Thomas; Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Perez, Maddison, Barnes; Lookman

 

Heung-Min Son will miss the whole of January due to injury but Eric Dier and Sergio Reguilon should come back into the lineup.

 

PROBABLE LINE-UP: Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Royal, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Lo Celso, Reguilon; Moura, Kane

 

GAMECHANGERS

In the absences of Vardy, the onus will be on Maddison to be at his highest creative self and unlock the Spurs defence. Four goals and two assists in his last five games has firmly put his early season struggles behind him. Maddison is a top-class facilitator who can turn the ball from defence to attack very quickly. Furthermore, he has an arsenal of skills in his repertoire including dead ball mastery, long range shots and accurate passing.

 

Spurs do not have the best of midfields in the league, which will certainly give Maddison time and space to pick his option. Hojbjerg is the only proper defensive midfield option and if Leicester can overpower them, their defence is very suspect. Even without their leading marksman, Maddison will have enough runners around him to score. His versatility in playing across different positions of midfield and attack

 

Four goals in his last seven games across all competitions is the slow but sure sign that Harry Kane is returning to form. It was a real struggle at the beginning of the season but Conte has always been a big admirer of the striker who seems to be reaping the rewards now. Though he was marshaled expertly by Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Kane remains the best option if Spurs want to score.

 

His physicality will be key in matching up with the second-string Foxes defence with Lucas Moura not exactly known for his strength. The absence of Son will be huge, so Kane knows he has to rely on his excellent shooting prowess from long range as well to test the goalkeeper. Furthermore, he is also adept in the air and if Spurs can get their crossing radar right, Kane will be in business.

 

PREDICTIONS

Leicester’s backline has been a worry all season, given they had rarely been able to field their first-choice defenders. On the other hand, Spurs have been really laboring to score and Son’s absence will hinder it further. FootTheBall predicts a 2-1 win for the Spurs.

Ratul Ghosh
His name means Red and a fan of devilish food, which equals to his favourite team being Manchester United. Can be found sleeping or in front of the TV otherwise. Hates waking up early but loves staying up late for football.

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