Leicester City will be desperate to secure some form of positive result when they face off with Aston Villa this week.
The Foxes got off to a fantastic start under Ruud van Nistelrooy earlier this month, securing four points from two games and putting some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
However, Leicester City have seen their results fall off a cliff over the festive period, dropping down to 19th.
The Midlands outfit have now lost four on the spin while conceding a concerningly high 12 goals.
This means Leicester now have the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League going into the latest round of fixtures.
None of the club’s defenders have covered themselves in glory this season, as is evident by the number of goals shipped, but James Justin has been especially woeful.
Ruud van Nistelrooy told to drop James Justin by former Leicester City star
Justin was the lowest-rated Leicester player in the 3-0 loss to relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.
It’s not just since the Dutchman arrived that the right-back has failed to perform, however.
Shortly before Van Nistrlrooy took over, Leicester fans criticised Justin vs Brentford as he played an unwanted role in his side shipping four goals against the Bees.
Now, speaking to BBC Sport, former Fox Matt Piper has urged Van Nistelrooy to drop Justin – who earns £30,000-a-week according to Capology – for Hamza Choudhury.
He said: “James Justin has obviously proven that he has the level to be really good at Premier League level previously, but he is just in a really low moment. We saw some heavy touches and his decision-making is a little off.
“I’m pretty positive that the only reason why he remains in this team is because there is no other real option [at right-back]. I would give Hamza Choudhury a go and take a chance on him.
“I think a player in form, that can deputise well at that position, will give the whole team much more confidence.
“Justin is just prone to mistakes at the minute. That’s why I thought that Choudhury would have started at Anfield, and why I thought he would start against Manchester City.”
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There’s a reason Hamza Choudhury isn’t starting for Leicester City
Choudhury has been on Leicester’s books for nearly a decade now, but has never really been able to cement himself as a regular starter.
In 2024/25 he has notched just 130 minutes of Premier League action across four appearances and it’s easy to see why.
During his one and only league start so far this term, Choudhury was woeful vs Newcastle, failing to make a single tackle in an hour.
So, while it’s clear Justin should not be starting every match for Leicester, the natural midfielder may not be the best replacement for him.