Leicester City predicted line-up v Newcastle as five youngsters included in training

Five young Leicester City players have been training with the first team ahead of the clash with Newcastle but opportunities for game-time may remain limited. Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has suggested that he is beginning to look towards the future, accepting City's relegation fate this season and looking at which teenage talents could make the step up next term. He said this week: “We have to use every moment to plan tomorrow and today, of course, but also look further.

“It's important to do that at the same time, and especially looking at young talents within the club and give them the chance.” So far, none of those promising upstarts have featured in first-team matches. But ahead of Monday night’s clash with Newcastle, where City will look to avoid losing for a club-record eighth straight game, a quintet of youngsters have been spotted in training.



Unsurprisingly, two of those are winger Jeremy Monga and forward Jake Evans, the club’s two big hopes for the future. But joining them were attacking midfielder Michael Golding, who has struggled with injury since his £5m move from Chelsea last summer, and young full-backs Jayden Joseph and Bade Aluko. Van Nistelrooy has already explained his stance over Monga, and that his training time, which is limited while he is still in school, will prevent him from featuring before next term.

For Joseph and Aluko, a spot on the bench feels unlikely when there are so many fit and available options for the wing-back roles. James Justin and Victor Kristiansen have been starting of late, while Luke Thomas, Ricardo Pereira, Woyo Coulibaly and Kasey McAteer can also play there. Evans, then, is perhaps the best placed to get a call-up.

But, he is still more likely to feature for the Under-21s, who host West Brom on Monday night in their penultimate regular-season fixture, with Leon McSweeney’s youngsters looking for a sixth straight win to increase their chances of a home tie in the last 16 of the play-offs. In that case, it may be an unchanged line-up for a fourth straight game, despite City losing and failing to score in their last three. Of those not currently in the 11, Caleb Okoli perhaps has the best chance of coming into the side.

The Italian defender was pretty solid as a substitute against Manchester City. He would likely come in for Kristiansen, with Thomas then switching to wing-back, the academy graduate enjoying the biggest upturn in prominence since the change in formation. Ricardo Pereira also did well off the bench against Man City, but van Nistelrooy has said it is too early for him to start.

Predicted City XI (5-2-1-2): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Soumare; El Khannouss; Daka, Vardy..