Maddison return gives Foxes fillip as City lurk; James joins Reds’ ownership group

James Maddison will be back in Leicester’s squad for Saturday’s clash against Manchester City as Brendan Rodgers’ men battle to secure a top-four finish.

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has been sidelined with a hip injury since late February but returned to full training during the international window.

“It’s great news for us,” Rodgers said on Thursday. “Clearly he’s not 100 percent match fit but in terms of his football fitness he looks great.

“In the last few weeks he’s been working with the players we’ve had available and he’s stepped that up.”

The England international’s return will offer Rodgers a significant extra option at a time when Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho have combined well in attack.

The Northern Irishman would not be drawn on Maddison’s likely role in a match in which he expects Leicester to see limited amounts of the ball.

“The most important thing is his availability,” Rodgers said. “Then we look at what strategy we use. Ayoze (Perez) has been outstanding in the last few games in a role that suits his strength and running and also the mindset.”

Maddison’s eight goals and seven assists this season have helped fire Leicester’s push to finish in the top four.

Leicester are third, 15 points adrift of City, but are seven points better off than fifth-placed West Ham in the chase for Champions League spots.

Leicester beat Manchester City 5-2 in September as City made a sluggish start to the season but Pep Guardiola’s men now appear almost certain to win their third title in four years.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt they will go on and win the league,” said Rodgers. “We of course want to make it as difficult as possible, but their level of consistency over a long period this season sees them out in front and if they go on and win it they will be very deserving.”

Rodgers, 48, is cautious after Leicester’s late-season stumble last year cost them a Champions League place.

“We just look to the next game,” he said when asked if he had a points target. “The players have been brilliant in keeping their focus and playing very well.

“We just go into each game. Let’s see where we are after the 38th game, but we want to at least be in that top four.”

JAMES UPS REDS’ OWNERSHIP STAKE: NBA superstar LeBron James has increased his ownership stake in English Premiership club Liverpool via a deal confirmed on Wednesday that makes him a partner in Fenway Sports Group.

FSG announced that James and longtime business associates Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter had become partners in the Boston-based global sports, entertainment and real estate platform, along with RedBird Capital.

James, 36, previously held a 2% stake in Liverpool, but now will have a bigger share in the Premier League team as well as a stake in Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, a sports management firm, a regional sports cable network and Roush Fenway Racing of the popular NASCAR stock car racing series.

FSG took control of Liverpool in 2010.

The investment and accompanying transactions value the group at $7.35 billion (6.26 billion euros), and the Boston Globe reported that it is a $750 million (639 million euros)investment.

The new investment is expected to allow Liverpool to recover from the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic and help Anfield expansion plans go ahead.

RAMOS HURT AHEAD OF LIVERPOOL TIE: Sergio Ramos suffered a calf injury while on international duty with Spain, just five days before Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool, the La Liga champions announced on Thursday.

The veteran centre-back made his 180th international appearance in Spain’s World Cup qualifying win over Kosovo as a late substitute, but said he felt the problem after the match.

Real also play Barcelona in a league Clasico meeting on April 10.