AdminLeicester City will be without several key players for the next ten days as Jordan James, Abdul Fatawu, and Divine Mukasa head off to join their national teams.
Contrary to popular belief, international breaks do not always provide a welcome pause for clubs. For Leicester, this period represents one of the most challenging stretches of the season.
The Foxes will not return to league action until Good Friday, when they face Preston North End, leaving Gary Rowett with limited options to prepare his squad.
A total of 11 players have been called up for international duty, including most of Leicester’s attacking talent: Jordan Ayew, Patson Daka, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Divine Mukasa, and Jeremy Monga are all away.
Their absence presents Rowett with a dual challenge — he must manage training and tactics with a depleted squad while factoring in a Friday fixture that gives internationals little more than a day back at Seagrave before the match.
“We’ve got two weeks with a lot of the players not here,” Rowett explained. “That’s the challenge. Then, it’s a Friday game and a lot of the players will come back on the Thursday, which adds to the challenge.
Sometimes that international break, the thought process of being able to work with your squad, it’s actually completely the opposite. It’s probably the worst period of time because you don’t get to work with your squad.”
Despite the difficulties, Rowett is determined to make the most of the situation. “The players who are left will get a chance to train well, we’ll get a chance to improve one or two things, we’ll get extra fitness work into the ones who haven’t played.
There are a few injured players hopefully back as well to bolster what we can do, so I can’t complain.”
Leicester will face a Preston side that has struggled in recent weeks but ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Stoke on Friday, promising a tough challenge for the Foxes’ depleted squad.
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