Leicester City host strugglers Millwall this evening and Enzo Maresca could give Conor Coady a rare chance to impress.
Leicester watched Ipswich Town come back from behind to beat Watford last night to move into first position.
The title-chasers will want to instantly wrestle back the top spot by beating the Lions.
The Foxes have been in imperious form for the majority of the season but last time out against Plymouth Argyle, it was the first time they’d scored four goals in a single match this season.
Maresca will demand a similar performance to the one he saw on Saturday and he could make some changes.
While Ricardo Pereira is expected to come back into the team to replace Hamza Choudhury at right-back following his suspension, the Italian could also give Coady a chance to shine.
Why Enzo Maresca should start Conor Coady
Over the festive period, Maresca will want to flex the full depth of his squad and that should see Coady thrown into the mix.
The 30-year-old arrived from Wolves in the summer as one of Leicester’s marquee signings, however, he’s not had a regular run in the team after suffering a significant injury blow at the start of this campaign.
Given how strong Jannik Vestegaard and Wout Faes have been as a defensive pairing, with the Foxes only conceding 12 goals this term, Maresca has felt no need to change a winning formula
That said, Coady has played ninety minutes in three of their last four matches in midweek, starting in the disappointing draw against Sheffield Wednesday and victories over Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End.
The last two times he’s featured from the off, he’s replaced Faes and partnered alongside Vestegaard in the heart of defence.
Hailed by England manager Gareth Southgate as an ‘infectious’ character on and off the pitch, Maresca should continue his pattern of starting Coady in the midweek fixtures and unleash him this evening.
After all, Leicester have only conceded twice in the 276 minutes he’s played in the Championship.
Leicester need to wrestle back top spot from Ipswich
In such an important fixture at the top of the Championship, many will expect the Italian tactician to go with his usual defensive pairing of Vestegaard and Faes.
However, this is an opportunity for Maresca to place his faith in Coady and flex the depth he has at his disposal.
During his time at Wolves, the £75k-a-week titan was used to being thrown into big moments having captained his side on their Europa League journey.
So a home fixture against a struggling Millwall side is a splash in the water for someone who possesses such pedigree.
If Maresca chooses to start him tonight, his leadership expertise will be pivotal in helping the Foxes claw their way back to the top.