Leicester striker Jamie Vardy fit for Aston Villa semi-final

Posted Tuesday, January 07, 2020 by PA

Jamie Vardy is fit for Leicester’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Aston Villa.

The striker has been sidelined for the last two games with a calf injury, having also missed a third due to the birth of his daughter last month.

Filip Benkovic is fit despite coming off against Wigan with a knee injury but Wes Morgan (groin) and Daniel Amartey (ankle) are out.

Skipper Jack Grealish, centre-back Tyrone Mings and midfielder Douglas Luiz all return to the Villa squad after being rested for Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at Fulham.

New signing Danny Drinkwater, who has joined Villa on loan for the rest of the season from Chelsea, is cup-tied after playing in an earlier round while on loan at Burnley.

Boss Dean Smith goes into the game without a number of players through injury, including goalkeeper Tom Heaton (knee) and Jed Steer (Achilles), strikers Wesley (knee) and Keinan Davis (hamstring), and defender Matt Targett (hamstring).

Leicester provisional squad: Schmeichel, Ward, Jakupovic, Chilwell, Justin, Pereira, , Evans, Fuchs, Benkovic, Soyuncu, Gray, Praet, Tielemans, Mendy, Maddison, Albrighton, Barnes, Choudhury, Mendy, Ndidi, Perez, Vardy, Iheanacho.

Aston Villa provisional squad: Nyland, Kalinic, Guilbert, Engels, Chester, Mings, Taylor, Elmohamady, Hause, Konsa, Luiz, Nakamba, Hourihane, Lansbury, Grealish, Jota, Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Kodjia, Ramsey, Vassilev.