No Fresh Injury Worries For City

Centre-half Matt Upson continues his recovery from a foot injury while Zoumana Bakayogo remains a long-term absence after an operation on his anterior cruciate ligament.
But the Foxes boss will have to wait until Friday before he can assess wingers Riyad Mahrez and Jeffrey Schlupp, who will return from their African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Mahrez scored one and set up the other in Algeria’s 3-0 win over Malawi while Schlupp was an unused substitute in Ghana’s 3-1 win over Guinea on Wednesday.
Pearson said: “Mahrez has played a lot of minutes in both games for Algeria and has the travel back.
“We’ll have to see how he is – it’s as simple as that. The logistics are never easy.
“Jeff doesn’t arrive back until tomorrow morning so it makes it very difficult to get everything as you would like it.
“But that’s what you’ve got to deal with so that’s how it is.”
This international break has seen 11 City players away with their nations with two debutants in Harry Panayiotou for St Kitts and Nevis and Alie Sesay for Sierra Leone.
While Academy product Panayiotou scored on his debut for the Sugar Boys, Sesay helped his nation to a clean sheet against Cameroon.
Admitting he wouldn’t stand in the way of a player if they wanted to represent their country, Pearson said: “My views on any player who has been linked with an international call up would be that it’s pretty positive.
“If people are still talking about any our players come the turn of the New Year then they have continued to do well.
“I think ultimately it’s about players being able to perform consistently well for their clubs and if they do that then any speculation regarding their futures at international level will take care of themselves.
“The ones who are back are in good condition – they’re fit and well – we’ll have to see how the others are when they come back.
“As it stands we’ve got a pretty fit squad with players available.”