How Leicester City could shape up at the Riverside Stadium, where they are looking to make it eight wins from eight Championship away games and retain their 11-point cushion inside the top two
Enzo Maresca has decisions to make out wide and in midfield as he picks his Leicester City team to face Middlesbrough.
The City boss is not likely to make mass changes following the defeat to Leeds, especially with his players having had a full week to recover. But there may be a few tweaks he wants to make.
Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu have been City’s starting wingers for the past four matches and while both have done well, tormenting their full-backs at times, Maresca may feel the energy of Kasey McAteer is warranted at the Riverside Stadium. However, the City boss stuck with Mavididi and Fatawu for the full 90 minutes against Leeds and has faith that they can threaten consistently.
The other decision to make is in midfield. McAteer could be an option if Maresca wants to give Cesare Casadei a break, but it is more likely that Ricardo Pereira is pushed forward if that’s a change the manager is looking at
Conor Coady may be pushing for a start in defence, but Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, and James Justin are expected to continue for now. Up front, Kelechi Iheanacho may be due to return to the 11 with Jamie Vardy having started the past two matches, and with Maresca regularly rotating the pair.
It’s not expected that fit-again Tom Cannon will make his debut from the start. Maresca has said he is not ready for 90 minutes, so is more likely to make his first appearance for the club as a substitute.
Predicted City line-up (4-3-3): Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Iheanacho, Mavididi. Subs from: Stolarczyk, Coady, Souttar, Choudhury, Albrighton, Marcal, McAteer, Vardy, Daka, Cannon.
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