Leicester City travel to face League One side Wycombe Wanderers at the Adams Park Stadium in their second pre-season fixture.

Brendan Rodgers will hope his sides' form improves following their recent defeat to Burton Albion in the Bass Charity Vass. The Foxes lost out on penalties after a goalless game with Leicester fielding 22 different players over the 90 minutes.

Wycombe, unlike their upcoming opponents, have started their pre-season off strongly. The Chairboys recently picked up a 1-0 win over League Two side Stevenage and will be carrying momentum heading into their clash with Leicester.

Leicester's Selection Questions

With Rodgers choosing to field a different eleven for each half against Burton, the Scotsman's selections for their upcoming match could once again contain many different players.

Foxes' fans were treated to seeing all three of their club's latest transfer signings in the first half, as Patson Daka, Ryan Bertrand, and Boubakary Soumaré were able to debut against the Brewers. The new players all had impressive spells despite the short time window, with Soumaré standing out for his calmness in midfield.

Boubakary Soumaré controlled the midfield well in his first Leicester game | Credit: Plumb Images | Getty Images
Boubakary Soumaré controlled the midfield well in his first Leicester game | Credit: Plumb Images | Getty Images

Likely, Rodgers will again give the three players game time against Wycombe to integrate into the Leicester side and attempt to force their way into the starting eleven for the 2021-22 campaign.

With several attacking options to choose from, Leicester fans may get the chance to see a mixture of different striker combinations against Wycombe.

Daka started the previous fixture as a lone striker; Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho played the second half together, Rodgers may experiment with the three forwards to discover the best way to utilise all his options.

Midfielder James Maddison will likely miss the upcoming fixture after picking up a small leg issue during the match with Burton. The 24-year-old was forced to have his leg strapped up after taking several knocks which could suggest that Rodgers will rest his midfield maestro for the upcoming clash.

Chances for the Young Foxes

With Rodgers exploring all the options in his squad during pre-season, several rising young players made an appearance for the Foxes and will most likely play this Wednesday. 

Highly-rated midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netted the first penalty for the Foxes in the shoot-out, further pushing his chances to start against the Chairboys

Winger Tawanda Maswanhise impressed fans with his aggressive and quick style of play, receiving praise from many supporters after the game. The Leicester youngster will likely make an appearance against Wycombe as Rodgers looks to strengthen his wide options for the upcoming season.

Tawanda Maswanhise chases down the ball against Burton Albion | Credit: Plumb Images | Getty Images
Tawanda Maswanhise chases down the ball against Burton Albion | Credit: Plumb Images | Getty Images

With full-backs Timothy Castagne and James Justin both out injured for the Foxes, young defender Luke Thomas is expected to start against Wycombe.

The Foxes' academy graduate produced an outstanding display against Burton, further enforcing his position as Rodgers' first choice left full-back for the upcoming season.

On the opposite side of the pitch, full-back Vontae Daley-Campbell could start ahead of Ricardo Pereira following his display against the Brewers

The 20-year-old joined the Leicester youth side from Arsenal in 2019 and made his debut for the first team towards the end of last season in the FA Cup. Physically strong with an explosive style of play, the youngster could force his way into Rodgers' plans if he continues his impressive performances.

The Opponents

Gareth Ainsworth's side will be aiming to re-build following their relegation from the EFL Championship in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Chairboys have brought in several new faces to bolster their squad, with midfielder Josh Scowen re-joining from Sunderland, Sullay Kaikai signing from Blackpool, and former Ipswich goalkeeper Adam Przybek officially joining the club following a trial period.

Gareth Ainsworth managing his Wycombe side | Credit: Marc Atkins | Getty Images
Gareth Ainsworth managing his Wycombe side | Credit: Marc Atkins | Getty Images

Usually playing a 3-4-1-2 formation, Ainsworth's side possesses a tightly packed and organised midfield, often deploying Jamaican international Garath McCleary as an attacking midfielder behind the two strikers.

32-year-old McCleary made 32 league appearances for the Chairboys last season, he will likely be a dangerous threat to the Leicester defence on Wednesday.

In a similar way to Leicester's formation last season, Wycombe use a style of three central defenders to cover the back-line. Rodgers may look to take advantage of this system by deploying two strikers with Vardy, Daka, and Iheanacho possible options to battle Ainsworth's defence.

 

VAVEL Logo
About the author