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EXCLUSIVE: Ruud van Nistelrooy now set to surprise everyone and start Unbelievable Leicester City teen for the first time ever.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will oversee his first away game as Leicester City manager this weekend when the team travels to Newcastle United.
Leicester recently drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion, coming from two goals down to level the score in the final minute through Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
As the Foxes look to extend their unbeaten run to three matches, their opponents will be eager to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat at Brentford. However, despite an improved mood at the King Power Stadium, Leicester could be missing up to six players for the trip to St James’ Park.
A particular concern for Van Nistelrooy is the midfield, and he has suggested he may give one young player the chance to make his Premier League debut. With Boubakary Soumare suspended and Wilfred Ndidi and Harry Winks both uncertain due to injuries, Hamza Choudhury and Oliver Skipp are the only natural central midfielders available.
If those two are played together, there would be no other midfield options, but Van Nistelrooy has hinted that Michael Golding could be given a chance. Golding, who joined Leicester for £5m from Chelsea in the summer, is highly regarded but has mainly played in the academy teams. The 18-year-old has recently been training with the first team and was included in a matchday squad for Leicester’s Carabao Cup win over Walsall.
In discussing his options, Van Nistelrooy mentioned Golding and Will Alves, who has already seen first-team minutes. “We have many options, even when there are suspensions and injuries,” the manager said. “We have some talented young players. Michael Golding is there. Will Alves is more of an attacking player, either a winger or a no.10, but there are plenty of options, and it’s great to work with such depth.”
With Leicester’s midfield facing several challenges for the match on Saturday, Van Nistelrooy may adopt a more cautious approach. On his first day in charge, the Dutchman suggested he could use two deep-lying midfielders or one deeper player paired with a more forward-thinking number eight.
When asked about what he expects from his midfielders, he explained: “Off the ball, they need to be able to press the opponent, cover ground, and win duels. On the ball, they need to link the back three to the no.10s and wingers. It’s a demanding profile for an all-around player. One game, you might need more of a no.8 profile than a no.6, but we have all those qualities in the squad.”
