Leicester City will look to stop the rot when they host Fulham at 3 pm on Saturday after going through a dismal run of form.
It’s now six defeats in a row for Ruud van Nistelrooy as Leicester City lost 2-0 against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
The result leaves the Foxes in 19th position and two points adrift of safety, with some fans resigned to relegation back to the Championship.
While many supporters have lost hope this season, there is still a huge shot at survival, and Van Nistelrooy will hope Leicester’s signing of Woyo Coulibaly will aid their challenge.
That being said, the Leicester manager must also make some bold decisions between now and the end of the season, perhaps making a call that could shock the fans.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy must consider dropping Jamie Vardy vs Fulham
It’s now five matches without a Premier League goal for Jamie Vardy, who was wasteful in the defeat to Palace in midweek.
Vardy spurned two golden chances to score and get his side back in the game, with his performance at the King Power Stadium leaving much to be desired.
According to Sofascore, the ‘unstoppable’ Vardy had the second-lowest rating of the Leicester players who started the game (6.5), evincing how poor he was.
Also, the Englishman produced just a 77% pass completion, suggesting it wasn’t just in front of goal where he struggled as his link-up play was lacking.
While his performance perhaps warrants being dropped to the bench, he is a Leicester City stalwart and him being left out of the starting lineup when fully fit is unheard of.
However, the forward is now 38-years-old and while Robert Huth once dubbed Vardy a ‘freak’ athlete, dropping him to the bench could be beneficial.
Patson Daka could start for Leicester City vs Fulham
So, whilst Vardy’s absence from the team sheet at 2 pm would shock the Leicester fans, it would present a chance for Patson Daka to perhaps lead the line.
Daka was wanted by AS Monaco a few weeks back but interest in the striker has cooled, and he could still play a huge part in Leicester’s season.
The Zambian striker has only started once this term – the 3-1 defeat against Liverpool – but he did miss the first part of the campaign with an ankle injury.
Now, after coming off the bench in the last three matches, the 26-year-old’s attributes could be useful in the starting lineup, including his electric pace and movement in behind.
And whilst he isn’t the most popular among the supporters, he would gain the support of many if he scored against Fulham today.