Europa Conference League_Quarter-finals Preview (2022): Vardy ‘not close’ to Leicester comeback
 Posted on : Apr 7, 2022, 11:53AM   27 total views  Category : Sports
Europa Conference League_Quarter-finals Preview (2022): Leicester City - PSV Eindhoven

Jamie Vardy's only start in 2022 came on 5 March against Leeds when he was substituted just after the hour mark

Jamie Vardy's only start in 2022 came on 5 March against Leeds when he was substituted just after the hour mark

 

 

Jamie Vardy remains sidelined for Leicester City's Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg against PSV Eindhoven.

 

The striker has been out since early March with a knee injury and played just 79 minutes in this calendar year.

 

Danny Ward, Ryan Bertrand and Wilfred Ndidi are also out with knee issues.

 

Luke Thomas is available after recovering from a hamstring injury, having missed his side's Premier League draw at Manchester United on Saturday.

 

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers admitted Vardy, 35, does not look "close to being back".

 

"It is hard to put a timeline on it," he added. "He is still feeling pain within the knee.

 

"He can run and he is outside, but when he is striking the ball there is an issue, so we will have to get to the bottom of that.

 

"I will have to speak to the medical team to see where that is at, but it doesn't sound as if he is too close to being back."

 

'We won't say no to a trophy'

Rodgers was upbeat about his side's chances of winning the maiden Europa Conference League and, in doing so, qualifying for next season's Europa League.

 

"It's a possibility of a trophy which you never say no to. We're very positive," he said.

 

"We know PSV have a lot of quality players and they play very well.

 

"They try to play football, not kick it long, but it can also play to our advantage, because if they take risks and if we press them, we can take chances from that. We have to get the pressing right.

 

"One or two legs, it doesn't matter. We'll try to win the first one and then the next one. You don't think about the score until the last five or 10 minutes of the second leg."

 

PSV will be without midfielder Erick Gutierrez who is serving a one-match ban, having accumulated three yellow cards in Europe.

 

-- Courtesy of BBC Sport

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