Leicester City are back in Premier League action against Newcastle United on December 14th.
The Foxes have enjoyed an excellent start to life under new manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
After watching his team get thumped 4-1 by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Dutchman acted quickly and made a number of changes for his first game in the dugout.
This resulted in Leicester City beating West Ham United 3-1 on December 3rd. A tricky clash with high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion followed, but a respectable 2-2 draw was earned in that game.
Van Nistelrooy will now take his side up north for a 3pm kick-off at St James Park on Saturday vs Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe’s men are 12th in the Premier League table ahead of the weekend, with Leicester down in 16th and five points above the bottom three.
Before the fixture, Van Nistelrooy held his pre-Newcastle press conference on Thursday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy comments could be good news for Wout Faes
In his presser, Van Nistelrooy provided a concerning Leicester injury update, with two stars ruled out against the Magpies.
Elsewhere, comments made by the 48-year-old could be good news for centre-back, Wout Faes.
Before Leicester changed manager, Faes had started a staggering 45 league games (including the Championship) in a row for the Foxes.
However, Ruud opted to drop the 26-year-old to the bench for the meetings with West Ham and Brighton.
This may have seen Faes, who joined the club for £15m according to Sky Sports, worrying for his future in the team.
But comments made by Van Nistelrooy ahead of Newcastle suggest the defender will still have a role to play going forward.
As per Leicestershire Live, the manager claimed he will need all four of his centre-back options.
He said: “They played well, like all starters, but I was pleased with the subs. They changed both games. I’m glad I have four centre-backs, we’re going to need them all.”
Leicester City fans’ feelings on Wout Faes already clear
While Van Nistelrooy’s recent comments are good news for Faes, Foxes fans are unlikely to be pleased.
Their side have one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League right now, with the Belgian taking a lot of blame for his role in that.
Leicester fans were baffled by Faes for what he did during the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last month.
But that is not the only time he has drawn the ire of supporters in the 2024/25 season.
And after he was dropped ahead of West Ham, Leicester fans praised Van Nistelrooy’s decision to bench Faes, making it clear they didn’t want him in the starting line-up
