James Maddison doubtful for Leicester v Arsenal

Arsenal could be set to take on a Leicester City side missing James Maddison on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners take on the Foxes in a 3pm kickoff in the Premier League, hoping to make it two wins in a row.

Mikel Arteta’s charges got back to winning ways last week with a dramatic 4-2 triumph away at Aston Villa.

Arsenal’s win put them two points clear at the top of the table as Manchester City then drew at Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, Leicester followed up their 4-1 hammering of Tottenham with a 3-0 loss at Manchester United.

The last time Arsenal and Leicester played was back in August, their second match of the 2022-23 campaign.

Maddison scored for the Foxes on that day, though it proved a mere consolation as the Gunners ran out 4-2 winners.

Now, the 2016 Premier League champions could be without one of their key players due to a persistent knee issue.

On Thursday, Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the £110,000-a-week ace will be monitored in the lead-up to the game.

“We’re starting to get a lot of players back,” he told the club media team.

“We have to see how James Maddison is though.

“He’s still nursing a knee issue, so we’ll have to assess that tomorrow (Friday) after training.”

Potential boost

Arsenal will have to work hard to overcome Leicester, a team that can be very dangerous on their day.

However, should Maddison not be available, that’ll be a boost for the Gunners and a huge blow for the hosts.

The ‘sensational‘ player is Leicester’s main source of creativity, and would likely be a thorn in Arsenal’s side if he plays.

Maddison has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium before, which is testament to his quality.

That’s obviously on the backburner for now as Arsenal will look to thwart a tricky opponent on Saturday.

The Gunners will be able to go five points clear of Manchester City if they triumph at the King Power.

That may only be for a couple of hours at least, but the Citizens did buckle under the pressure last time out.