Vardy & Ricardo In Burnley Contention, Says Rodgers

- Leicester City face Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Tuesday (7:45pm GMT kick-off)
- Jamie Vardy could play a part for the Foxes after recovering from a hamstring injury
- Ricardo Pereira may also be involved as part of his phased return from a leg issue
- Wesley Fofana (fractured fibula) is progressing well also, Brendan Rodgers says

The Foxes head to Turf Moor on Tuesday evening to tackle Sean Dyche's Clarets in the Club's 24th outing of the 2021/22 top-flight campaign. It comes five days after City's second-leg win over Randers in the UEFA Europa Conference League, confirming a last-16 tie against Rennes.

Ricardo's game time has been carefully managed over previous weeks following a leg injury, while Vardy – Leicester's all-time top Premier League goalscorer – has been out of action since picking up a hamstring complaint in the 1-0 victory over Liverpool in December.

Speaking at LCFC Training Ground in Seagrave on Monday, initially addressing Ricardo's availability, Rodgers said: "Yes, he’ll be available for the squad. Jamie Vardy will be back in the squad, which is great news for us. He’s looked sharp in the few days' training he’s had so he'll come in and play a part.

"For us, we're looking to finish the season strong. When we get one or two of these players back, of course that'll make a difference for us. To have that level of mentality as well as the ability is very important for any squad. [Vardy is] a proven player at the level. He's a top player at the level.

"What you find with top players that have done it consistently is they have that mentality. When you have that back in your squad, of course that makes you stronger. To have him back, to be able to travel and feature, is great. That's a huge boost for us."

Centre-back Wesley Fofana, absent for the Foxes since August with a fractured fibula, is working towards his own return to competitive action.

"Not for this game," Rodgers added. "We're just trying to schedule in the time we can bring him into the team. It’s difficult when you don’t have so many Under-23s games. He’s only been training a week or so and he’s looked fantastic. Over these next few weeks, we'll try to schedule him into some game time.

"The great news is he’s looking very good in training. It’s hopefully a matter of time for him."

Marc Albrighton, who had a knock in Thursday's European success at Randers, is expected to be available for City, while Rodgers also provided an update on James Justin (hamstring) and Timothy Castagne (thigh and shoulder). 

"Marc had a little twist on Thursday but he’s come through fine," the Northern Irishman explained. "He should be available. Unless there’s anything from today, we should be pretty much the same.

"It's just unfortunate that [Justin] came back (from an ACL injury) to pick up the injury, but he's probably about a week or so away. He's out on the field, working with the rehabilitation team, but hopefully in the next week he'll be back. 

"[For Castagne], it'll probably another three weeks or so. He had the operation on his leg, but at the same time, he had his shoulder done because that has been an issue. Both recovery times were aligned. He’s back on the field, he’s doing his physical work, but we’re looking at maybe three weeks or so."

All times GMT.