Schmeichel Ready For Nine-Game Premier League Showdown
- Leicester City face Watford at Vicarage Road in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off)
- The match will be staged behind closed doors as part of COVID-19 safety measures
- Kasper Schmeichel believes the Foxes are prepared to return after over 100 days away
- City fans in the UK can watch the match on BT Sport, while LCFC Radio commentary is also available
There will have been a 103-day break between the 4-0 success over Aston Villa in March and Saturday's trip to Vicarage Road following football's suspension in response to COVID-19.
After a phased return to training last month, safety measures were put in place to allow for the top flight's resumption, with all matches set to be played behind closed doors until the end of the season.
Three-time Denmark Player of the Year, Schmeichel, City's No.1 goalkeeper since 2011, played in all 29 of Leicester's Premier League fixtures before the break - keeping 10 clean sheets.
That excellent form between the posts enabled the Foxes to climb to third in the table with nine matches to play and he believes Brendan Rodgers' men are prepared for the final run-in of fixtures.
"Training in itself is relatively back to normal," the 33-year-old explained. "Obviously with the games coming up, we’ve been training really hard and getting ready for match situations.
"Everything’s been coordinated so well. The Club’s been amazing, everything’s been done by the backroom staff to put our minds at ease and it’s all been great.
"There’s been no worries or contentious issues so we’ve been able to just focus on football. It feels like the start of a season and we've seen at the start of seasons, teams can start off flying.
"They have everybody fit, everyone’s raring to go and then tail off, but this is a nine-game season now. It’s there for anyone. We came off with a really good win against Aston Villa.
"If you look at our early-season form, it was very, very good when we had time to prepare and we’ve had good time now. Everyone’s really looked good training.
"We’re ready to get straight into football and we’re hoping to build some momentum. Training’s been at a really high standard and I see no reason why we can’t hit it running."
With an Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final against Chelsea also to come on Saturday 28 June (4pm kick-off), the Foxes will play a guaranteed 10 games in just 37 days.
Leicester City vs. Aston Villa: Joint Training Exercise
Leicester City advanced preparations for the Premier League’s return with training exercises alongside top-flight counterparts Aston Villa.
However, Schmeichel believes that is a source of excitement for his Leicester colleagues, all of whom are determined to conclude the 2019/20 season by maintaining, or bettering, their league position.
"We have a tough schedule during Christmas, too, and hopefully the weather and the pitches are better now than during that period!" the former Leeds United shot-stopper added.
"It’s not something we are concerned with. It’s the kind of schedule we want. We want to be playing European football and that’s the kind of schedule that brings.
"It’s 100 days since the last game, so we’re fresh, we’re ready and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got ourselves into a really good situation and, for us now, it’s about finishing.
"We have a great opportunity with nine games to go, plus an FA Cup Quarter-Final. We’re in a great position, a really good place, and we can have a really good season, so it’s up to us to finish it properly."
Saturday's encounter with Watford will see City come face-to-face with former manager Nigel Pearson, the man who delivered title successes in the Championship and League 1 over two spells.
Now in charge of the Hornets, since December, Pearson was able to motivate his new side towards securing several notable results, including a 3-0 triumph over league leaders Liverpool in February.
Schmeichel is looking forward to the challenge, but warned of the difficulties which Watford could pose for Leicester in Hertfordshire in a match which will be broadcast on BT Sport in the UK.
"I’m expecting a really tough game," he continued. "Any Nigel Pearson side is a tough side. You can see the work that he’s done since he went in, the uplift in form and the mood has shifted greatly.
"That’s what he does. He deserves huge credit for where Leicester are today. He has an amazing way with people and players, in particular, respond well to him and he's doing that there."
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