FAC: Leicester v Sheff Utd preview

Leicester v Sheff Utd preview

Riyad Mahrez is in line to start for Leicester against Sheffield United in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round tie following his self-imposed exile.

The midfielder was back in the Leicester squad last weekend against Manchester City after a 10-day period of leave from the club following a failed £60m bid from Pep Guardiola's side on Deadline Day.

He came off the bench in that 5-1 Premier League defeat but boss Claude Puel is ready to play him from the off against the Sky Bet Championship side after admitting he has returned to the fold "with a smile".

 

"He enjoys to play and train with his team-mates and he is at a good level with no problem," Puel told reporters ahead of the game. "He has come back with a smile. The story is behind him, all the players want to move on."

 

Leicester ousted the Blades from the Carabao Cup back in August and Puel has urged his players to shrug off a heavy loss last time out and focus on their "good possibility" to reach the quarter-finals.

"I think for our fans, it will be important to put it right (the City game)," Puel said. "It's important to look forward and prepare for an important game - an FA Cup game - and also a Premier League game (against Stoke) because we have good possibilities.

"The game against Sheffield United will be tough, they are a good team. But we want to get as far as we can in the cup and it will be a strong team."

 

Mahrez is set for a more prominent role and captain Wes Morgan could further boost Leicester after recovering from the hamstring injury that has kept him out since the turn of the year.

 

But striker Shinji Okazaki remains sidelined with the knee injury which forced him to miss the game at the Etihad.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has confirmed Wales international David Brooks is in contention to make his long-awaited return to first-team action.

The attacking midfielder has been suffering with glandular fever and has not featured since early December but scored one goal and set up another in a 45-minute cameo for the club's U23s on Monday.

 

Wilder is likely to shuffle his pack with one eye next week's Championship double-header against QPR and Hull - live on Sky Sports - but Jamal Blackman should continue in goal with Simon Moore suspended and John Fleck is a definite absentee after picking up a two-match ban of his own.

Midfielders Ryan Leonard, Ricky Holmes and Lee Evans are all cup-tied but the likes of John Lundstram, Daniel Lafferty and Clayton Donaldson could start.