Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

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Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided an insight into the Club's preparations for Saturday's long-awaited return to Premier League action.

2020-06-19T07:00:00.000Z

Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided an insight into the Club's preparations for Saturday's long-awaited return to Premier League action.

2020-06-19T07:00:00.000Z

Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided an insight into the Club's preparations for Saturday's long-awaited return to Premier League action.

2020-06-19T07:00:00.000Z

Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided an insight into the Club's preparations for Saturday's long-awaited return to Premier League action.

2020-06-19T07:00:00.000Z

Rodgers On Resumption Excitement, Travel Logistics & Watford's Qualities

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided an insight into the Club's preparations for Saturday's long-awaited return to Premier League action.

2020-06-19T07:00:00.000Z

- Brendan Rodgers speaks ahead of Leicester City's trip to Watford on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off)- The match at Vicarage Road will be staged behind closed doors to protect the safety of all involved- It will have been 103 days since City's last competitive match when the game kicks off in Hertfordshire- Rodgers admits he is excited by the chance to resume the Club's 2019/20 top-flight season

The Foxes will face Watford behind closed doors at Vicarage Road in a 12:30pm kick-off on Saturday 103 days after their last top-flight outing, a 4-0 home win over Aston Villa.

Despite a lengthy period between the two fixtures, Rodgers says the nature of the challenge which his talented squad will face at the weekend is no different to the one they expected before the break.

Since former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was appointed by the Hornets, the Hertfordshire club have collected several admirable results and climbed out of the relegation zone.

Initially looking ahead to that test during Thursday's virtual press conference - in order to ensure social distancing guidelines were adhered to - Rodgers outlined the threat Watford could pose.

"We anticipate – and are preparing for – a tough game," the 47-year-old said. "Having been manager of Watford, I know what Vicarage Road brings, in particular when the fans are there.

"Okay, the game might have changed in the stands, but it won’t change on the pitch. They’ve got good players. They’re in a position where, like ourselves, they’re fighting for results.

"It may be for a different purpose, but they’ll want to get back to playing well and getting results, similar to ourselves. For us, we go into the game anticipating a tough game."

City will travel to Watford on Friday evening following a morning training session at Belvoir Drive and Rodgers also elaborated on the measures being put in place by the Club's backroom staff.

"There’s been a lot of work done by the Club to ensure that, first and foremost, the players and the staff are as safe as they possibly can be," the Northern Irishman continued.

"We’ll arrive into training on Friday, we’ll do a safe-distance meeting, do our work on the pitch, and the players will travel down.

"The hotel has been ratified and all the health and safety procedures have been assessed, so we’ll travel down there and make sure we’re there in plenty of time.

"What we’re looking to try and ensure, above everything else, is that our preparation isn’t compromised and that we stay as close to what we know, in terms of travel.

"We’ll get to the hotel just before the time that we’ll have our meal. Players and staff will eat at different times, but the times when they’d normally mingle socially will be limited.

"Then, they’ll go back and rest and get ready for the game the next day. It’s all been different, of course, to how we’d normally do it, but we’ve tried to plan forward as much as we could.

"There’s a lot of staff at the Club who have worked diligently. We’ve had lots of meetings to ensure that everything can run as smoothly as it possibly can.

"We’re in a good place, we’re looking forward to the game, and all the measures are in place for us to be as safe as we can be."

Discussing the excitement felt by fans across the country now the Premier League is back, with all games broadcast on UK TV, Rodgers said their feelings matched his own as City return to action.

"I’m so looking forward to it," he added. "I think everyone, whether you’re a manager, player, supporter, media, I think everyone was really looking forward to the start of it all.

"Of course, there’s been conversations saying it’s not the same. Well, of course, it’s never going to be the same without supporters.

"However, it’s about making the best of the situation that we’re in. There are unprecedented times and exceptional circumstances, but the games so far were played at a good tempo.

"We’re all delighted to be able to get back to playing again. A lot of teams might not be at their best to start with, but we'll be giving our best."

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