Our writers give their thoughts on City’s best centre-back partnership, with five players soon to be fit in Ben Nelson, Caleb Okoli, Jamaal Lascelles, Jannik Vestergaard and Harry Souttar
Daniel Orme, Amie Wilson Central Audience Writer and Jordan Blackwell
14:19, 20 Mar 2026Updated 15:03, 20 Mar 2026
Leicester City’s best centre-backs are debated in our latest Foxes Forum
For six games, Gary Rowett has stuck with the same centre-back pairing of Ben Nelson and Caleb Okoli.
That could change this weekend, when Leicester City head to Watford, with the manager strongly hinting that now is the time he will bring in Jamaal Lascelles.
And after the international break, there will be potential for more changes. Jannik Vestergaard will be fit by then, while Harry Souttar may have enough training time under his belt to be in contention.
So there’s five centre-backs for two (or maybe three) spots. Who should fill them? Our writers have their say.
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Football writer and Post Horn Gallop editor Daniel Orme writes: Nelson should not be written off despite his horror show against Queens Park Rangers. Fans might forget that he’s a young player and had performed brilliantly in the win against Bristol City.
No one will be more aware that he had a bad day against QPR than Nelson. What he really needs right now is an experienced head besides him and the obvious candidate for that is Lascelles.
The 32-year-old was signed in January for his experience but he hasn’t really been given a fair crack of the whip yet, allowing for a few cameos.
Vestergaard might be in with a shout once he returns to fitness but City really don’t need to pass through teams in the situation they’re in. They need defenders to be defenders and that’s exactly what Lascelles is.
Souttar might also have been a good candidate for the role but given the Australian’s long period out of the side, he might take a fair amount of time to get up to speed. City simply cannot offer that, with just eight games of the season to be played.
Football writer and Foxes fan Amie Wilson writes: I think when he is fit and available then Lascelles should now be first choice. His experience and quality could be crucial between now and the end of the season. That’s the reason he was brought to the club and I’ve heard nothing but good things from Newcastle fans about his leadership, which is what City need.
I was thinking about playing Vestergaard alongside him, he’s previously shown that he is a very good centre-back at this level and his passing out from the back can also help in an attacking sense.
However, a pairing of Lascelles and Vestergaard would leave me worried about a lack of speed, therefore, I think I would stick with Nelson alongside Lascelles.
The 22-year-old showed his inexperience against QPR, but he has more good games than bad games. Playing alongside Lascelles should help him, as playing alongside Okoli it feels like Nelson has to take a more prominent role, which exposes his inexperience more.
While the Italian is good at getting blocks in, he makes me nervous when he’s on the ball, and that may be the same with other players on the pitch, which then wouldn’t help with the individual mistakes that have blighted the season.
Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson look dejeced after Leicester City’s 3-1 defeat to QPR(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Leicester City correspondent Jordan Blackwell writes: City should keep faith with Nelson for now. The two mistakes against QPR showed a lack of awareness, which arises from a lack of concentration. That’s a worry.
But he should be given a chance to learn from those moments because of the positives he brings.
He’s growing in confidence in the way he steps out from the back-line and against QPR he showed how good he can be on the ball, setting up Jordan James’ goal with that line-splitting pass.
Against Bristol City, even if he did concede the penalty, he proved how effective he was in lots of other moments in stepping forward to make tackles and interceptions, killing the opposition’s attacks.
He’s also got pace, and so that’s why he deserves to stay in ahead of Vestergaard, even when the Dane’s fit.
Lascelles should be in the back-line too. For a first start in 23 months, he was very good against Birmingham.
He’s a defender’s defender. That grit to do everything and anything to stop the ball going in the net seems instinctive to him. Those are the qualities that City need now.
That should be the pairing in a back four. A back five is not the way to go. City’s defensive issues have often emerged from their structure and/or the lack of support from further forward.
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