Patson Daka could start against Tottenham Hotspur on Leicester City’s return to EPL 

With the English Premier League set to return in eleven days, Patson Daka and his Leicester City teammates will be returning to the top flight of English Football. 

The Foxes were relegated in the 2022/2023 season and returned immediately to the English Premier League after winning the Championship. 

City have been handed an exciting first fixture back in the Premier League as they welcome James Maddison and Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power Stadium in the first Monday Night Football of the season on August 19. 

The game against Ange Postecoglou’s side represents a difficult start to life back in the Premier League for City, and it’s a reasonably tough opening couple of months. Before the end of September, City will also host Youri Tielemans and Champions League outfit Aston Villa and travel to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal for one of three early trips to London, with Fulham and Crystal Palace the first two opponents on the road.

Leicester will play their fifth preseason game on Saturday and Jamie Vardy has played less than an hour of football over the summer. 

He is out injured and the likelihood of Patson Daka starting the opening game is growing. It is believed that it will be Daka rather than Tom Cannon.

 It’s evident from his lack of minutes against Palermo and Augsburg that Cannon is down the pecking order. 

Daka was better against Augsburg. He didn’t drop as deep to link play and his movement in the box made him a greater threat, but still without ever really looking like he would score. Then again, as mentioned, the creativity behind him was lacking too.

Being back-up to Vardy has been a difficult job for any striker over the past decade. The shoes to fill are so big that failure is inevitable. What’s worse for Daka is that he has become the face of the lack of investment this summer, with City set to start the season with a striker who hasn’t scored a club goal in six months leading the line.

If he is to start against Spurs, he will need support from the stands. A goal at Lens on Saturday would also be welcome.

Daka has scored 22 goals and contributed 13 assists for Leicester City in 96 appearances in all Competitions. 

Predicted City line-up (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Ricardo, Faes, Coady, Justin; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi; Daka.