Leicester City head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that he will rotate his starting lineup ahead of Tuesday night’s clash away at Millwall in a must-win fixture.
Having led the Championship for the majority of the 2023/24 campaign, the Foxes dropped as low as third place in recent weeks after suffering four defeats in six matches across February and March.
However, Maresca’s men have now reclaimed top spot following back-to-back victories against Norwich City and Birmingham City at the King Power Stadium, helped by Ipswich Town and Leeds United both suffering defeats on Saturday afternoon in their respective fixtures.
Pass on point, finish textbook 🤌
Is this your Goal of the Month?
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 8, 2024
Furthermore, Leicester City still have a game in hand on their rivals for the Championship title which is a home clash against Southampton in two weeks’ time. Finishing in first place is now firmly back in the Foxes’ hands so late in the season.
First, though, City travel to The Den tomorrow evening to take on a Millwall side who have lost three of their last four outings in the second tier. Neil Harris’ men are just two points above the drop zone, with relegation to League One a real possibility which could make it a tricky fixture for Leicester.
Speaking ahead of the game in his pre-match press conference, Maresca confirmed that the starting lineup will be rotated after he fielded the same first eleven in the last two games [quotes via Leicestershire Live]:
“Yeah, absolutely, for sure we’re going to make rotation,” the Italian coach said.
“We have three games in one week. It’s not easy. We’re going to make some rotation for sure. We’re going to try to manage a bit the energy.
“Until the end, for us but for all the clubs, every game is important because every team is playing for some target. When you are playing to survive, it’s always a boost. We need to be ready for Tuesday, it will be a battle for sure, with long balls and second balls. If we are not ready, we can struggle.”
Writer’s View
It’s going to be a really difficult decision for Maresca to rotate a team that have picked up back-to-back victories in crucial games after what was a very rocky spell of form for Leicester City, particularly since Millwall will be gunning for three points as well.
Nevertheless, a lot of football has been played at the moment and trusting your entire squad is a key component for any title side, otherwise injuries and fatigue occur. The likes of Patson Daka and Abdul Fatawu could find themselves dropped to the bench until the weekend.
