Record breaking Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is a doubt for the Foxes’ clash against Man City at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening after it was confirmed that the Englishman has been hit with a bout of illness.
The current Premier League top-scorer was hauled off in the second half of their game against Liverpool on Boxing Day as Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri confirmed post game that he was playing with a fever.
Ranieri told Sky Sports:
I have to look at Jamie Vardy over the next three days and see if his reaction is good or not.
He played with a fever. I didn’t want to give him more minutes. I wanted to preserve him.
The other star performer of this season, Riyad Mahrez, was also substituted in Merseyside over fears the Algerian would be too fatigued come Tuesday evening. Having scored a whopping 13 goals from midfield in the Premier League, the winger has been a revelation for Leicester this season and is level with Odion Ighalo, Watford striker, and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku.
Their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool was only their second defeat in a season which has sensationally seen the Midlands club at the top end of the Premier League table, whereas heading into the season staying up was the primary goal.
City, on the other hand, head into Tuesday’s top-of-the-table clash a mere three points off table-topping Leicester and a win would see them go top on goal difference, after their 4-1 victory against Sunderland yesterday. Samir Nasri and once-again injured Vincent Kompany are the only significant absentees for Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
The other title contenders, Arsenal, suffered a heavy defeat at St Mary’s on Saturday night as Southampton striker Shane Long bagged a brace in a 4-0 victory on the South Coast.
