Leicester City vs Sunderland - No special plans to combat Defoe threat - 7M sport

Leicester City vs Sunderland - No special plans to combat Defoe threat



Posted Monday, April 03, 2017 by PA

Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare has not made any special plans to cope with the threat of Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe.

The Black Cats take their fading fight for Premier League survival to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, hoping to make inroads on the eight-point gap between themselves and safety.

Defoe, who is a slight doubt for the game after taking a kick just below his knee during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Watford, has scored 14 league goals in a struggling side this season and is seen as pivotal to any hopes Sunderland may have of avoiding the drop.

Shakespeare acknowledges the threat posed by the 34-year-old, but he will not afford any special treatment to the player who scored the winning goal in the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light in December.

"We have spoken about Jermain Defoe in our preparation and we know what kind of threat he can be. His record speaks for itself. But we won't man-mark him," said Shakespeare.

"I was pleased to see him back in the England squad and he took his goal really well. Any team that has Jermain Defoe in it will be dangerous and we must keep him quiet.

"But he is not the only dangerous player Sunderland have - they showed what they can do by winning 4-0 at Crystal Palace a few weeks ago.

"We've been in the same situation as Sunderland, down there fighting for your lives when the games are starting to run out. It will be a close game again, I think, and we respect Sunderland but we are in a good place at the moment."

Leicester have improved markedly under Shakespeare's stewardship, winning all five matches in all competitions.

He joined some esteemed company on Saturday as he became the first British boss to win his first four games in the Premier League. Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy scored as Leicester eased to a 2-0 home win over Stoke.

Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and Pep Guardiola are the only managers to achieve the feat before Shakespeare.

Captain Wes Morgan looks set to miss out due to his back injury along with midfielder Nampalys Mendy, who is still nursing a knee problem. On-loan defender Molla Wague is out for the season with a dislocated shoulder.

Meanwhile, Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe is still feeling some pain in his knee as he bids to return from a lengthy lay-off.

Midfielder Lee Cattermole was an unused substitute at Vicarage Road after recovering from a long-standing hip cartilage problem, but Steven Pienaar (calf) and Jan Kirchhoff, Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore (all knee) are still out.



Attention: Third parties may advertise their products and/or services on our website.7M does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of their contents.
Your dealings with such third parties are solely between you and such third parties and we shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you.