Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare won't rush Wes Morgan back from injury

28 April 2017 11:24

Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare will not risk Wes Morgan's long-term fitness as the Foxes captain bids to overcome a hamstring injury.

Morgan recently missed six matches with a back problem but returned against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this month, only to hobble out of the second leg of the quarter-final defeat late on with hamstring trouble.

That injury ruled him out of the loss at Arsenal and the central defender remains a doubt for Leicester's Premier League trip to West Brom on Saturday.

With the defending champions seemingly almost safe from the threat of relegation, Shakespeare insists Morgan will not be rushed back.

"He will be touch and go for Saturday," said Shakespeare.

"He trained outside yesterday (Thursday), not fully, with the squad and I'm hoping that if he joins in again today he will be in with a shout tomorrow, but I am going to give him every opportunity to prove his fitness.

"I won't put him at risk if he needs rest, even perhaps for the rest of the season. But knowing Wes' character he will want to play.

"As I say, he'll be given every opportunity to prove his fitness and then we will have a chat and see where we go with it."

Having won his first six matches after replacing Claudio Ranieri in February, Shakespeare is now without a victory in five games, losing three, in all competitions.

He takes Leicester back to the club he served for so long as a player and a coach on Saturday, and Shakespeare hopes it can spark a return to form and a strong finish to the season, with the 53-year-old targeting maximum points from the remaining five fixtures.

"There are 15 points available and we want them all," he said.

"I think as a player and a manager you should always want as many points as possible - all the points.

"I am very greedy in that sense, I want all 15 points. I want the lot."

Shakespeare admits it will not be easy against West Brom, though.

"They've had a very good season and their home form has been very good," he said.

"They've progressed a lot as a club, both on and off the field. I think they can play both ways - they can mix it and be direct but they have flair players like (Matty) Phillips and (Nacer) Chadli and can counter-attack quickly and play."

While Morgan is a doubt, striker Islam Slimani is expected to be available again having been kept out by a groin problem recently.

Source: PA