Jakub Stolarczyk’s “excellent” performance is a big boost to Ruud van Nistelrooy and Leicester City – with the manager fearing Mads Hermansen needs more time to recover from his groin injury.

Stolarczyk replaced Danny Ward in the City starting line-up against Liverpool on Boxing Day for his Premier League debut and his first outing of the season. Despite conceding three times to the Premier League leaders, he made several fine saves as part of a confident display and impressed his manager.

The 24-year-old's showing is a relief for van Nistelrooy, who revealed the concerning news after the 3-1 loss that number one Hermansen could need longer to get over his groin injury. The Dane is very unlikely to be fit to face Manchester City on Sunday and van Nistelrooy has suggested Stolarczyk will continue to deputise for him, rather than Ward or Daniel Iversen.

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“Mads, it’s something that I think he’s going to need longer to recover from,” van Nistelrooy said. “He wants to try every time to see if he can make it, but I think it’s an injury that’s going to take a little bit more time. I want to give him that time, because we need a fully-fit Mads to help this club. We miss him, that’s the quality we need.

“In the mean-time, Jakub can do a great job. Today he did an excellent job, he couldn’t have done better.

“The saves he made, those are the first thing you look at. But I also look at calmness, at his composure in certain moments. He’s a young goalkeeper, talented.

“He was out for a long time with injury, just played once in the Under-21s. Today he’s making his (Premier League) debut at Anfield. If you can pull off a performance like that, it’s a big credit to him.”

Defeat to Liverpool leaves City in the relegation zone for the first time this season, following Wolves’ win over Manchester United. They could face Man City on Sunday from 19th spot, if Ipswich beat Arsenal on Friday.