Leicester City welcome Manchester United to the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day as the Foxes aim to remain in the top two of the Premier League.
Leicester picked up an impressive three points away at Tottenham Hotspur last time out and moved above the North London side, leaving them in second place behind Liverpool for the second Christmas in a row.
Manchester United also performed extremely well in their last game, winning 6-2 against Leeds at Old Trafford. The win moved them into third and one point behind Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Foxes' manager Rodgers spoke to the media ahead of the highly anticipated festive fixture.
On having a winning mentality
Despite losing five games this season, Leicester still sit in second and this is due to their ability to bounce back. Their nine wins have counteracted the losses and have maintained their position inside the top four.
Rodgers discussed the number of losses and reinforced the importance of continuing with a positive attitude after a defeat.
He said: "This is a season where you know it's going to happen [losing a game], everyone is looking to win every game, but we know that can't happen. So it's then about not losing enthusiasm when you lose, and we have been able to move the mindset on very quickly."
Injury update
The Foxes have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, however key players are beginning to return to first team football. Wilfred Ndidi is back in the line-up and Timothy Castagne played 60 minutes against Spurs on Sunday.
Also, Caglar Soyuncu is close to returning to full fitness after suffering a setback last month. Another concern for the Boxing Day game is Jamie Vardy who picked up a slight knock and had to be substituted at the weekend.
Rodgers addressed the injuries: "Vardy will be fine for the game. It's just a bit of soreness. It will be pretty much the same squad,” he explained. “Soyuncu may be close. If not for Saturday, he could be ready for Monday [away to Crystal Palace]."
On Manchester United
After a slow start to the season, Manchester United are now picking up important results, and find themselves five points off the top of the table with a game in hand.
Despite their league form, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were recently knocked out of the Champions League and will join Leicester in the Europa League knockout stages as a result.
Rodgers was full of praise for the Red Devils and the job that Solskjaer is doing at the club.
He said: "I think Ole's doing a fantastic job. They'll be disappointed to go out of the Champions League because it's a competition they have history in. Ole has reshaped the club in terms of the values, and he's looking to develop young players. I think he's done a very good job. They've got big quality."
On the new Training Ground
Ahead of the game, the Foxes will be moving into their new £100m state-of-the-art training facility. Their first session at the new training ground will be on Christmas Eve.
This facility is expected to have a big impact on the club as a whole, with it being seen as a huge moment, signifying their progression over recent years.
A historic day for the Foxes. pic.twitter.com/82GQSUCstQ
— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 22, 2020
Rodgers gave his thoughts on the move. He said: “To be able to move to one of the most advanced training facilities in the world, we’re all so excited about it. It’s arguably the biggest investment the owners have made, but highlights their aims of improving the squad."
On leaving Belvoir Drive
This move does mean that Leicester will no longer be training at Belvoir Drive. The old training ground has been a staple of the club for many years and for this reason, it is remaining as part of Leicester City with the Women’s team moving in to use the high-quality facilities.
"There’s always a sadness when you leave, there’s a lot of history, a lot of great players and managers at Belvoir Drive,” Rodgers said. “But our Women’s team now have an amazing facility to go and work in."