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Leicester City team v Nottingham Forest as Steve Cooper names XI fans wanted

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper on the touchline during the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal
-Credit: (Image: AP Photo/Ian Walton)


Ricardo Pereira and Abdul Fatawu both start for Leicester City with Steve Cooper naming the team fans have longed for against Nottingham Forest.

Ricardo comes into the side at right-back for his first Premier League appearance of the season, with James Justin switching to left-back and Victor Kristiansen dropping out. A key player last season, Ricardo has been an unused substitute in all of City’s first eight league outings.

On the wing, Fatawu comes into the Premier League starting line-up for the first time since August, a reward for his game-changing appearance off the bench at Southampton. And for the first time this season, he starts with Stephy Mavididi.

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Bilal El Khannouss drops out, with Facundo Buonanotte moving into the number 10 position. If sticking to his usual tactics, Mavididi will drift inside off the left wing to join Buonanotte in the middle, with Justin bombing down the left and Ricardo forming a back three with Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli.

The third and final change sees Harry Winks come in for Oliver Skipp in the deep midfield positions. Like Fatawu, Winks made a difference off the bench at Southampton and set up the winning goal for Jordan Ayew.

The team is completed by Mads Hermansen in goals, Wilfred Ndidi in midfield, and Jamie Vardy up front. The striker is looking for just his second goal against Forest, with the first coming more than a decade ago.

City XI (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Okoli, Justin; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy. Subs: Ward, Coady, Thomas, Skipp, Soumare, El Khannouss, De-Cordova-Reid, Ayew, Edouard.

What do you make of tonight's XI? Have your say here