Ruud van Nistelrooy has named the same Leicester City line-up for the third straight match as he stays true to his word and true to his new formation.
Van Nistelrooy announced on Monday that he would not be abandoning the 5-2-1-2 formation for the trip to Manchester City, and that is the case.
Not only has he kept the system in place for the third straight game, he’s kept the same 11 too, despite having never named an unchanged line-up prior to this run.
It means City again set up with Wout Faes, Conor Coady and Luke Thomas in a defensive trio, with James Justin and Victor Kristiansen as wing-backs.
Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare sit in front with Bilal El Khannouss in the number 10 slot, and with Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy leading the line.
There are two changes to the bench, with Ricardo Pereira fit again and involved, and with Oliver Skipp included after two games out. Harry Winks and Kasey McAteer drop out.
So far, the new formation has neither ended City’s run of defeats nor their run of goalless games.
They kick off at the Etihad Stadium having lost their last six Premier League games to nil, their last league goal coming in the 2-1 win at Spurs in late January.
Failure to score again would see them match a club record of seven straight league fixtures without getting on the scoresheet, one they set in the 87-88 season.
They also start the evening 12 points from safety after Wolves’ victory over West Ham on Tuesday night.
City (5-2-1-2): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Soumare; El Khannouss; Daka, Vardy.
Subs: Stolarczyk, Okoli, Coulibaly, Ricardo, Skipp, Buonanotte, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi, Ayew.
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