Puel: Burnley Clash Is Crucial

- Leicester City manager Claude Puel previews Saturday's match against Burnley (3pm kick-off)
- Puel's men need a win to close the gap to seventh place in the Premier League
- The Foxes could have Academy graduate Hamza Choudhury among their starting line-up
- City's manager reveals the pride he feels to offer youngsters an opportunity to shine

The Foxes will arrive in Lancashire knowing they could close the gap on Sean Dyche’s men to just three points in the hunt for seventh place in the Premier League standings.

Puel feels Saturday’s clash, as well as next Thursday’s encounter with Southampton at King Power Stadium, could ultimately determine where City finish.

“The next two games against Burnley and Southampton are crucial games for me to decide if we can believe something or not for the end of the season,” he said on Friday.

“It will be a good challenge, we have to start well against Burnley of course, because now they have a six point advantage and we want to make a fantastic game against this team.

“We cannot say something about [UEFA Europa League] qualification, because we need to make a fantastic result away against Burnley and we will see this game.

“Just to have the possibility to play this game at this moment in the season is amazing and encouraging for this team. We will see the result at the end.

“I think we have at this moment, to manage the next game and to keep our ambition, but without forgetting all the good work we can do together.”

With Hamza Choudhury in contention to make his first start for the Club at Burnley, Puel also revealed his pride to give playing time to graduates of City’s Academy.

“With the first team, with all the players and also with the young players for example,” he added. “We try to give the same style and same possibilities to the youth teams.

“I am enjoying the work of Steve [Beaglehole] and Ben [Petty], the trainers of the Under-23s, because they’re doing a fantastic job.

“We try also to give the same habits, the same style of play, for these players. Choudhury can play with the first team because they play with the same abilities as the first team.

“The Under-23s won 4-0 against Liverpool, 3-1 against Arsenal, with fantastic play, with fantastic goals and I think it’s a good evolution for all the squad, all the Club, because we try to give direction and a good philosophy of play for the Academy and for the first team.”