There are two months to go until the first Championship game of the season and three months to go until the end of the transfer window.
A lot could happen between now and those dates, and Leicester City’s best line-up could change wildly.
But what is the base they’re working from? Figure that out and it will perhaps show City where they should be focusing their scouting and recruitment.
Taking out players who could leave over the next couple of months, here’s City’s current best 11.
Goalkeeper: Jakub Stolarczyk
With Mads Hermansen likely to be sold, Stolarczyk would then be left as the only senior goalkeeper at the club. But that’s far from a disaster, with the Pole good enough to be number one.
Defence: James Justin, Ben Nelson, Conor Coady, Luke Thomas
Talk from Ricardo Pereira’s agent that he is seeking a “more attractive project” means the Portuguese can’t be considered a certainty to stay, and leaves Justin and Thomas as the best bets to start at full-back right now, even with both entering the final years of their contracts.
It’s not absolutely certain that Ben Nelson stays, as that depends on how deep City’s concerns are regarding Profit and Sustainability Rules, but he looks a strong option to start should he remain part of the squad after his impressive showings with Oxford.
There’s lots of talk around City’s other senior centre-backs bar Coady, who could stay for the final year of his contract if given the chance to play regularly.
Deep midfield: Oliver Skipp, Sammy Braybrooke
Only one season into a five-year deal, Skipp is set to stay. The last time he played in the Championship, he was named in the division’s team of the season, and so there will be hope he can reach those heights again.
But there are doubts over the futures of Boubakary Soumare, Wilfred Ndidi, Harry Winks and now Hamza Choudhury, the latter on Olympiacos’s radar, meaning Sammy Braybrooke, on the bench for the final game of the season, would be stepping up as things stand.
Attacking midfield: Abdul Fatawu, Will Alves, Stephy Mavididi
Here’s where it gets exciting. With a fit-again Fatawu and Mavididi out wide, and with returning loan talent Alves in the number 10 slot, City look to have a dangerous trio to play behind the striker already.
If Bilal El Khannouss remained, City would look set to have the best creative unit even before transfers, but the Moroccan is likely to go, opening the door for Alves.
The 20-year-old will be part of the squad through next season, even if a summer arrival hampers his chances to claiming a place in the 11.
Striker: Jordan Ayew
With Jamie Vardy gone and Patson Daka likely to go, Ayew would be the best option to play up front right now.
While he’s not got the pace to penetrate in behind, he can be effective if tasked with holding the ball up and bringing the trio behind him into play.
Bench: Stevie Bausor, Woyo Coulibaly, Bade Aluko, Henry Cartwright, Michael Golding, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Kasey McAteer, Jeremy Monga, Jake Evans
With no senior goalkeepers remaining, Under-21s’ number one Bausor would currently be stepping up as Stolarczyk’s deputy, while Coulibaly and Aluko would be the defensive cover.
Harry Souttar won’t be fit at the start of the season, and so cannot be factored in for now. Tom Wilson-Brown, on the bench against Man City in December, would be next in line.
Henry Cartwright, in the matchday squad at Newcastle, looks ready for senior football. But he should perhaps head out on loan first.
Into attack, and City have a lot of promising options for the Championship, not least exciting duo Monga and Evans.
With Golding to play in attacking midfield and De Cordova-Reid, McAteer, and Monga to play wide, it may be that Evans’ best chance as featuring is as a striker.
Would you make any changes to that team? Click HERE to have your say.
Get your special Jamie Vardy edition of the Leicester Mercury
Jamie Vardy souvenir edition of the Leicester Mercury
It was certainly a fairytale ending to Jamie Vardy's Leicester City career - netting his 200th goal in his final match for the club.
To celebrate, we are launching a this special edition of the Leicester Mercury where we look back at the striker's amazing career - his journey from non-league to England international, his greatest goals and where he stands in the Foxes' list of all-time greats.
We also revisit the trophy-winning campaigns - the 2021 FA Cup and, of course, the 2016 Premier League title.
And there are plenty of tributes from those who played with him, against him and worked with him.
Jamie Vardy, it's certainly been a party!
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