Leicester City: Enzo Maresca must make bold call involving Marcal and Mavididi for Sunderland: View

Enzo Maresca should consider handing Wanya Marcal a start at Sunderland as Leicester look to end a three-game losing streak in the Championship.

•  Leicester City’s recent defeats have put them in a precarious position in the Championship promotion battle.
•  Striker Stephy Mavididi’s goal drought is a concern, and boss Maresca may consider making changes.
•  Youngster Wanya Marcal could be a fresh and exciting option to inject energy into Leicester’s lineup.
• A third successive defeat has left Leicester City looking nervously over their shoulder in the battle for promotion from the Championship.
• Whilst a loss to Middlesbrough was disappointing, the performance in the 3-1 reverse at Leeds United offered encouragement, and the Foxes could have easily taken all three points if not for a mistake from the officials.

  Therefore, they went into the weekend clash against QPR in decent spirits, and it was expected that the struggling Londoners were the perfect opponents for Leicester to get back on track.

• However, that didn’t happen, as the R’s took all three points from the King Power Stadium, leaving Enzo Maresca’s side just five points clear of third place.
  

  Stephy Mavididi’s struggles continue

  It’s important that Leicester don’t panic, and Maresca certainly doesn’t look as though he is feeling the pressure. After all, they’re still in the best position possible, and they’ve shown over a six-month period that they are a class side.

  But, that doesn’t mean that certain tweaks can’t be made, and the boss may decide to take a few players out of the firing line in order to freshen things up.

  And, one individual who is struggling is Stephy Mavididi.

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• The 25-year-old arrived from Montpellier in the summer, and he has been a fantastic addition, scoring ten goals and registering four assists in the Championship.
• As well as those contributions, he has been key to Maresca’s approach, and a joy to watch at times, with his pace, dribbling ability and direct style.

  Yet, there’s no denying that Mavididi is not at his best right now, and his failure to score or assist against QPR means he is without a goal contribution in six games. If you take that over a longer period, he has managed just one goal and no assists since New Year’s Day.

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• Wanya Marcal is ready to start for Leicester

  With that in mind, Maresca should consider putting Mavididi on the bench, and in Wanya Marcal, the Foxes have an exciting, if unpredictable, replacement.

  The 21-year-old has come through the ranks at the Championship leaders, and he has been given opportunities this season.

  Most recently, he played 120 minutes as Leicester knocked Bournemouth out of the FA Cup, and he was a constant threat down the left flank.

  Coming up against a top-flight side, he was fearless in the way he took the ball, as he used his pace and close control to set up various attacks.

  

  Of course, throwing in a youngster can be risky, but the way Marcal plays suggests he would relish the chance to show what he can do in a big game. Where some might shrink under the spotlight, he has a swagger that suggests he could flourish.

  Ultimately, after three successive defeats, Maresca needs to try something different when they make the trip to Sunderland on Tuesday night.

  With the win at Bournemouth the only victory in the past few weeks, those who played at the Vitality Stadium will surely come into the thinking of the boss.

  Marcal was one of those, and his energy and flair could give Leicester the shot in the arm they need to get their title push going once more.