James Justin has started two games in a row for Leicester City for the first time since he ruptured his Achilles 11 months ago, the full-back deputising for Callum Doyle
In order to give James Justin a rest and prevent an injury, Enzo Maresca will try to mold some of his Leicester City players.
Callum Doyle’s knee surgery will keep him out until the new year, leaving Maresca with few choices for the hybrid defense position where a player plays fullback while the ball is not in play but more centrally in a back three when the ball is in action. Only Justin is featured in the role, but Maresca is aware that Justin cannot participate in every game.
Victor Kristiansen and Timothy Castagne also played in the position for City during the preseason, however both players were granted permission to depart the organization during the transfer window. Maresca has also disqualified himself from considering the academy, with Tom Wilson-Brown, 18, filling the role for the development team.
The manager explained that in order to prevent Justin from becoming overworked, he will have to teach the position to more of his players. Justin played two consecutive games for City for the first time since suffering an Achilles rupture 11 months ago, playing the full 90 minutes against Liverpool last Wednesday and Blackburn this past weekend.
Maresca said after Sunday’s win at Ewood Park: “JJ, if you remember, I always said, even when he was not playing, like with Hamza (Choudhury), because the season is very long and because they work very good and are very professional, for sure they are going to help us. JJ today was unbelievable, even if he was on the left side. He can play with the left foot. I’m happy for JJ.
“We’ll see, fortunately we can take some decisions. We don’t have a natural left-footer like Callum so we need to adapt some players there. But in this moment it is JJ. We’ll see if we need to find different solutions.”
City are in the middle of a particularly busy schedule, with three games in seven days. It does not allow for much preparation time.
“We have many games and you realise that when you see the schedule,” Maresca added. “We play Wednesday at Liverpool. We play today Sunday, then we play Wednesday again, and then we play Saturday.
“Between Sunday and Wednesday, it’s Monday and Tuesday. Monday they need to recover and Tuesday you need to prepare the game. Thursday and Friday it happens the same.
“We can adapt. The only thing we can do is adapt. Sometimes some of them are going to be tired. Look at Macca (Kasey McAteer). Inside, he tried to help, but because he played two days ago, it’s not easy. They are human beings.”
