Ahead of a crucial match against Leeds in the battle for promotion to the Premier League, Kasey McAteer is vying for a starting spot in the Leicester City lineup after being sidelined for over a month.
McAteer marked his return from injury with a brief appearance off the bench in City’s victory over QPR, having recovered from a hamstring strain suffered in a previous match against Blackburn. With a week of solid training under his belt, McAteer is now in contention for a place in the starting eleven.
Speaking about McAteer in his press conference, manager Enzo Maresca expressed confidence in his ability, stating, “He looks good. He played some minutes last week. You can see he is ready. If he is going to play against Leeds, he could be an option.”
McAteer’s last start came against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, where he surprised everyone by giving City the lead. Impressively, he has found the net in his past three starts, scoring against Norwich and Southampton as well.
While McAteer can provide options on both flanks, he is more likely to feature on the right side. His tenacity and work-rate off the ball make him a suitable replacement for Abdul Fatawu, especially in a game where City is anticipating a greater defensive role.
Maresca faces three significant decisions when forming his team. The first is in defense, where Conor Coady’s recent performance as part of the back three hints at his potential to continue in that role. However, the manager may opt for Wout Faes, who offers greater speed, given Leeds’ dangerous counterattacks.
The next choice revolves around starting either Jamie Vardy or Kelechi Iheanacho up front. Over the past five matches, Maresca has alternated between the two, indicating that it could be Iheanacho’s turn to start.
Iheanacho may be the preferred option if Maresca believes a more patient approach in build-up play is necessary. He excels at dropping deeper and actively participating in the early stages of an attack. In this scenario, City could bring on Vardy in the second half and hope for a repeat of his impactful cameo in their previous encounter, where he scored off the bench and secured a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.
Projected Leicester City lineup (4-1-4-1): Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks; McAteer, Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall, Mavididi; Iheanacho. Substitutes: Stolarczyk, Souttar, Coady, Choudhury, Albrighton, Marcal, Fatawu, Vardy, Daka.
