Leicester City have begun their Premier League and Europa League seasons in a shaky manner after claiming the first prize of the new season with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield.
Their last outing in the group opener saw them melt towards the end of the match as Napoli marksman Victor Osimhen grabbed a late brace and levelled the scoreline.
Leicester and Napoli might be favourites to go through but it is Legia Warsaw who top the table after their inaugural matchday win over Spartak Moscow. The Polish team have not faced English opposition since encountering Blackburn Rovers in the 1995/96 UEFA Champions League group stages.
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Team News
Former Leicester City midfielder Bartosz Kapustka, who made just three appearances for the Foxes’ first team and registered 15 caps for the U23 side, misses out on a reunion due to a serious knee injury.
Ex-Bournemouth goalkeeper Arthur Boruc will be awaiting in goal, unbeaten in his previous three meetings with Leicester.
Wilfred Ndidi misses out on the trip to Poland after being sent off in injury time against Napoli. His absence could prove to be instrumental as Youri Tielemans misses out on his usual partner and must adjust to newcomer Boubakary Soumare’s presence.
Wesley Fofana is out and so is James Justin – both with long-term injuries but perhaps Jonny Evans could be joining them for a short while as he continues to recover from a foot strain. However, he must make it for the clash with his recovery sessions.
James Maddison is touted to return to the starting eleven after his absence against Burnley and partner Patson Daka on the wings. Ayoze Perez’s presence in the trequartista role would be significant in feeding either Jamie Vardy or Kelechi Iheanacho with potential goal scoring chances.
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Predicted lineups
Legia Warsaw XI (3-5-2) – Boruc; Jedrzejczyk, Wieteska, Nawrocki; Mladenovic, Luquinhas, Kharatin, Slisz, Johansson; Josue, Emreli
Leicester City XI (4-2-3-1) – Schmeichel; Castagne, Evans, Soyuncu, Bertrand; Soumare, Tielemans; Maddison, Perez, Daka; Iheanacho/Vardy
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Ones to watch
Legia Warsaw – Mahir Emreli
The 24-year-old Azerbaijani striker has been in good form, scoring 9 goals and registering one assist for the club in 17 appearances since signing in June. As a versatile forward capable of functioning on the wings, he will give Legia more freedom to operate in the final third and might pose a headache to Ryan Bertrand and Timothy Castagne.
Leicester City – Boubakary Soumare
As the one filling in for Wilfred Ndidi, Soumare will have the most pressure on him for filling in the central midfield role and provide Tielemans with the support he needs. The Ligue 1 winner is capable of functioning anywhere Brendan Rodgers wants him but his main job would be to shield Leicester’s leaky defence and allow more operating space before the final third.
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Prediction
The capital club’s home advantage at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego will prove to be significant in a match where they haven’t been in great form of late. Leicester on the other hand will enter the match having won just one of their last five matches in all competitions. A draw is likely on the books.