Leicester City face a crucial Premier League encounter with Swansea City on Sunday without top scorer Jamie Vardy, who is currently serving a one-match ban for his sending-off last time out against West Ham.
The Foxes are waiting to see if that ban will be extended, as Vardy has accepted an FA charge of improper conduct for his behaviour after his dismissal against the Hammers.
However whatever happens with that charge, the 29-year-old will miss the Swansea game and the Foxes will have to adapt their style to win the game, as much of their attacking threat is based on getting Vardy in around of the back of defenders.
The style has proved highly successful and is one of the reasons that Claudio Ranieri’s team are leading the English top-flight table by five points. The Foxes must now find an alternative to the style, as Vardy’s likely replacement Leonardo Ulloa is whole different sort of player.
Ranieri has fielded virtually the same formation with two up front all seasons and looks unlikely to change his formation in this clash. Ulloa is not a terrible replacement for Vardy and he has his strengths, but lightning pace is certainly not one of them.
The game against Swansea without Vardy is a true test of Leicester’s Premier League title credentials, as any team losing such a key player struggles to find their best form.
However, Claudio Ranieri must find a way of adapting his team’s style, or second-place Tottenham could be breathing down the back of the Foxes necks very soon.