Brendan Rodgers answered questions ahead of this weekend’s important clash with Bournemouth. Injuries, James Maddison, and the mood around the camp were hot topics at this afternoon’s press conference.
Leicester City recorded their first Premier League win of the season with a resounding victory over East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest. The 3 points moved Brendan Rodgers’ side off the bottom of the table, leapfrogging their opponent’s Forest into 19th.
Results this season have put Rodgers under massive pressure, but the Northern Irishman will be hoping this result can be a kickstart to an underwhelming start to the season.
The Foxes travel to the south coast this weekend to face newly promoted Bournemouth. The Cherries are yet to appoint a new permanent manager since sacking Scott Parker earlier this season.
Squad Fitness Update?
Leicester City have had rotten luck with injuries over the past few seasons with long term injuries to Ricardo Pereira, James Justin and the now departed Wesley Fofana. They have been slightly more fortunate this season with the majority of the squad staying fit.
Their luck seems to of come to an end with Wilfred Ndidi looking set for a period of time on the sidelines, after coming off at half-time on Monday night.
“Wilf Ndidi will probably be out for a little bit. He had a hamstring strain. He recovered well, but it was sore again. He will miss a few weeks. Papy Mendy has an issue with his knee so he will struggle. Everyone else is fine.”
Magic Maddison
James Maddison has been a shining light in a lacklustre Leicester side this season. Maddison ran the show on Monday night with registering two goals and one assist, with the second of his goals a superbly struck free kick.
With his latest omission from the England squad a hot topic of debate, Maddison faces a race against time to force his way into the England World Cup squad this November. On current form, Gareth Southgate has no option but to give him a seat on the plane.
“There’s absolutely no doubt his (James Maddison) maturity has developed. That’s what happens with growth. He’s now mid-20s and he’s developing on the pitch and in his life. He talks the game so well because he has a passion for it. He’s a very respected voice within the squad.”
“He’s one for our younger players, a guy from the Midlands who has come through. Because of his personality, he would have no fear. He sees and calls the game really well. He’s a very important player for us.”
Mood around the dressing room?
After only picking up 1 point from 7 games prior to Monday night, and having conceded 22 goals, you would forgive the group of Leicester players and fans for feeling a little glum. But after a morale boosting 4-0 win over your local rivals, the mood in Leicester may start to improve. Rodgers will be keen to keep the mood up and back up Monday night’s result with another three points on Saturday.
“I said it was a season-changing game that could change the mood. There was the connection between players and supporters. It was vibrant. The scoreline at Spurs was not reflective of the performance but we got punished by being too open. We took the positives into Monday, and it was a very good performance.”
“I said before Monday night’s game, we’d had a tough run of fixtures, but this run before the World Cup gives us a chance to accumulate points and very quickly, we could find ourselves in the middle of the table. We’ve put a plan together. We need to take the energy into our next game.”
Bournemouth host Leicester City on Saturday, October 8th at 15:00 GMT, in what looks to be a crucial game at an important stage in both sides’ seasons.