Leicester City Predicted Line-Up vs Crystal Palace: Steve Cooper Faces Three Key Decisions

Facundo Buonanotte’s potential return to Leicester City’s starting line-up is one of the key decisions Steve Cooper faces as he prepares his team to face Crystal Palace.

After starting the first two matches of the season, the Argentinian attacking midfielder was relegated to the bench against Aston Villa, partly due to a groin issue.

However, he came on as a substitute and made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club in a crucial cameo performance.

Now, Cooper must decide whether to include the teenager in his starting XI for Saturday’s 3 pm kick-off at Selhurst Park.

Buonanotte’s inclusion is just one of several decisions Cooper needs to make.

Buonanotte Favored for Attacking Midfield Role

Buonanotte’s impressive impact after coming on against Villa makes him a leading candidate to start in the attacking midfield role this Saturday.

Another factor in his favor is that he wasn’t called up by Argentina during the international break, allowing him to spend two uninterrupted weeks working at Seagrave.

This gives him a likely edge over Bilal El Khannouss, who was away on international duty with Morocco and has had limited training time with his new Leicester teammates since arriving from Genk in a £20 million move.

Wilfred Ndidi, who started in the advanced midfield role against Villa, struggled in that position as City failed to create much until the substitutes were introduced.

Facing another winless side, Cooper may opt for a more attacking player, like Buonanotte, to play behind Jamie Vardy.

Decision on Midfield Partnership

If Buonanotte starts, Cooper must decide who drops to the bench.

Ndidi could move back to a more familiar defensive midfield role alongside Harry Winks, as he did in previous matches against Tottenham and Fulham.

However, Oli Skipp made a strong impression in his first Premier League start for Leicester, developing good chemistry with Winks and helping City maintain possession with greater composure.

Given that City needs better control of the ball to create more attacking opportunities, Skipp may retain his spot next to Winks, especially if Cooper prioritizes possession in deeper areas of the pitch.

Defensive Considerations

Caleb Okoli made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, with Jannik Vestergaard left on the bench.

This marked the first time since before last season that Vestergaard was available for a league game but wasn’t selected.

Cooper’s decision to start Okoli was likely influenced by Villa’s attacking threats, with a need for a quicker defender to keep up with Ollie Watkins.

A similar scenario could unfold with Eddie Nketiah likely starting for Crystal Palace, meaning Okoli could retain his place in the line-up.

No Immediate Changes for Pereira and Mavididi

Elsewhere in the squad, few changes are expected, meaning players like Ricardo Pereira and Stephy Mavididi may continue to wait for their chance.

James Justin and Victor Kristiansen are likely to continue as the starting full-backs, while Jordan Ayew is expected to feature on the left wing against his former club.

Predicted Leicester City Line-Up (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen; Winks, Skipp; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Ayew; Vardy.

Subs from: Ward, Iversen, Ricardo, Thomas, Coady, Vestergaard, Choudhury, Soumare, Ndidi, Alves, El Khannouss, McAteer, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi.