Joint-top scorer Jordan James is fit enough to start for Leicester City but needs to be managed carefully, according to head coach Gary Rowett.
The midfielder returned as a late substitute in last weekend’s Championship defeat by Norwich City having been sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury.
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“He’s in a situation where he could be fit enough from the start of a game but the challenge is if he plays 90 minutes is he then okay to go again on Tuesday without much training or game time?” Rowett told BBC Radio Leicester.
The Foxes are on a nine-game winless run in the Championship as they prepare to visit Ipswich Town on Saturday [15:00 GMT] and are one point adrift of safety in the relegation zone.
Caleb Okoli suffered a head injury against Norwich but is expected to be available for the trip to Portman Road while fellow defender Jamal Lascelles, who appeared as a substitute in the same game, is also ready to start said Rowett.
“We’ve got players coming back but it’s how fit are they? When you’ve got a three-game week coming up it’s how you use those players,” he added.
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“If you pick them in the first game they may not be fit for the second game so it’s how you manage them.”
Rowett has confirmed goalkeeper Asmir Begovic will be out for a “good few weeks” after straining an ankle in training last week.
