Brendan Rodgers has given Leicester City fans welcome news ahead of the Carabao Cup Semi-Final Second Leg against Aston Villa by confirming that Jamie Vardy will be in the squad for the clash at Villa Park on Tuesday.
The Premier League's top goalscorer missed Saturday's win against Brentford in the FA Cup for the Foxes after suffering a glute-related injury in the win over West Ham United last Wednesday but has recovered in time to be considered for selection.
Should Leicester prevail in the all-Midlands affair on Tuesday, they will reach their first domestic cup final in 20 years.
'He's worked very hard'
Asked about whether Vardy would be fit for the trip to Birmingham, Rodgers confirmed that he would be available for selection and has been working hard to ensure he wouldn't be ruled out through injury.
"He’s in the squad. He’s worked very hard." Rodgers said, speaking to Leicestershire Live.
"We’ll give it another day and we’ll see if he can start.
"If you’re asking me if he’s 100 per cent, he might be 80 per cent.
"It’s about the further risk of injury, but I’m confident he will play some part.
'Every player will be up for an occasion like this'
Rodgers was also asked about how his team have been in the run-up to the fixture, with the Northern Irishman stating his players are ready for battle.
He said: "It’s a semi-final and it’s a huge opportunity for us.
"We played well there so we will have confidence.
"We know it’s going to be tight. They’ve had a couple of good results that will give them confidence.
"We arrive in a better moment, and a lot of players were allowed to recover for the game tomorrow.
"Every player will be up for an occasion like this. We know the threat Villa have but we know our own qualities."
Rodgers, who celebrated his 47th birthday on Sunday said that he and his players have spoke about handling the pressure of a cup competition and that both the players and supporters should dream of more cup runs.
Rodgers said: "We’ve done some work around that. It’s about how you manage the pressure, because hopefully there’s going to be many more big occasions.
"You need to play with calmness and with the emotion. It is something tangible for how hard the players have worked.
"I don't want to say it’s the chance of a lifetime because we want to be in more finals."