Ranieri: Slimani To Miss Club Brugge Clash

- The striker did not feature in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Watford due to a minor groin injury 

- Ranieri says he has seen the same spirit in training from his side, despite their 2-1 defeat to the Hornets 

Claudio Ranieri has confirmed that striker Islam Slimani will not feature for Leicester City when they face Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening. 

The Algeria international striker picked up a minor groin injury prior to Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Watford and as a result missed the clash. 

Ranieri hoped Slimani would be fit for City’s penultimate Group G fixture, but the Foxes boss revealed that he will be without the summer signing for the encounter on Filbert Way. 

“Slimani is not ready yet, but everyone else is,” Ranieri told the media on Monday during his pre-match press conference. “He’s not 50/50, he is out.” 

The Premier League champions head into Tuesday’s encounter on the back of a narrow loss to Watford, but Ranieri says he has seen the same spirit during training ahead of the clash. 

The City boss continued: “For me it is important to see my players training well, fighting every match, you have to accept the result. When we conceded two fantastic goals, what can you do? 

“Now for us it's important to react again, because all the previous games before the Champions League we lost and then we had to react again. That means our character is very strong.” 

Ranieri is now hoping City can continue to impress in Europe, before carrying that fine form into the Premier League. 

“I don’t understand because in the Champions League we won in Bruges, we drew in Copenhagen so it is strange to say in this period when the opponents have the first chance, they score a goal,” added the City boss. 

“This season we fight to find the solution. That is the truth, but the spirit is the same and I am not happy but I’m very confident. 

“I’m happy for the performance, for the spirit, for the cohesion of the group, but of course I’m not happy with the results.”