Leicester City will be without EIGHT key players for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at St James’ Park.
James Maddison, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jonny Evans, Boubakary Soumare, Ricardo Pereira, James Justin, Dennis Praet and Ryan Bertrand have all been ruled out of the game by Brendan Rodgers.
After all of the above missed their 1-0 win over Gillingham on Saturday, the Foxes boss told the press on Monday afternoon that he’ll be forced to go with the same depleted squad at St James’ Park.
Maddison – a well known Newcastle target – has been a huge miss, but they’ll also be without two of three first choice midfielders, their captain in Evans and both full-backs in Pereira and Justin.
It goes without saying, but this offers Eddie Howe’s Mags a huge pre-match boost, especially when so many of our first-team stars were rested in Saturday’s shock defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Asked if he’ll have anyone back for tomorrow’s trip to Tyneside, Rodgers had this to say on injuries and Maddison’s absence:
Mix their injury woes with the return of Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Bruno and Wilson and I’d say we are in with a great shout of the semi-finals.
Let’s hope we turn up, make the most of their absentees and respond to Saturday’s defeat with a big win of our own!
