Soumaré Set For Champions League Action – Latest Loan Headlines
- Seven Leicester City loanees have been featuring for their respective clubs this month
- Boubakary Soumaré, Victor Kristiansen, Zach Booth and Nathan Opoku among those to play on the continent
- Luke Thomas (Sheffield United), Lewis Brunt (Mansfield) and Paul Appiah (Maidstone) also in action
Rojiblancos cannot qualify for the knockout stages of the competition but could reach the UEFA Europa League play-offs with a win at Stade Bollaert-Delelis (5:45pm kick-off).
The game comes after the French midfielder featured in two successive La Liga defeats, playing 45 minutes of the defeat to Real Sociedad before starting Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at RCD Mallorca. Diego Alonso’s outfit lie 16th in the standings, three points above the drop zone.
Since defeat to Fiorentina, Victor Kristiansen has helped Bologna go on a three-game unbeaten run, overcoming Torino 2-0 on home soil, a game he started, before drawing 1-1 with Leece and then seeing off Salernitana – with the full-back playing 90 minutes in both.
I Rossoblù have climbed to fifth in Serie A, level on points with fourth-placed Roma, prior to the two sides facing off at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara this Sunday (5pm kick-off).
Left-back Luke Thomas featured in consecutive Premier League defeats for Sheffield United, starting the 3-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth, before losing out to Burnley. The former England Under-21s international remained on the bench for Chris Wilder’s first two games back in charge of the Blades.
A trip to Stamford Bridge awaits on Saturday (3pm kick-off), with Chelsea the Yorkshire club’s next league opponents as they look to move off the bottom of the table.
Lewis Brunt has once again played 90 minutes in consecutive Sky Bet League 2 fixtures, losing 2-1 to Swindon Town – a first defeat of the season - before drawing 2-2 at home to Tranmere Rovers. Crawley Town are up next for the fourth-placed Stags at Broadfield Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Over in Belgium, Nathan Opoku featured in three Jupiler Pro League matches for OH Leuven, starting 1-0 defeats to Club Brugge and Royal Antwerp, before getting 22 minutes of action last time out as OHL drew 1-1 with Sint-Truiden.
Cercle Brugge visit King Power at Den Dreef Stadion on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off, with Óscar García’s side looking to move out of the relegation zone.
Across to the Netherlands, Zach Booth made three appearances for FC Volendam, playing as a left winger in defeats to AZ Alkmaar and PEC Zwolle, before a more central position for the reverse at Feyernoord last time out. Heerenveen host Palingboeren on Saturday (8pm kick-off) and they’ll be looking to move off the bottom of the table.
Elsewhere, Paul Appiah made his Maidstone United debut, coming off the bench for the final half an hour of a 3-2 defeat to St Albans City.
The Development Squad centre-back then started back-to-back league victories, beating Havant & Waterlooville 3-1 before triumphing over Truro City 2-1, to sit second in National League South. He also helped United to reach the third round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over League 2 Barrow, playing the full game at Gallagher Stadium.
The 21-year-old defender could be in action again on Saturday when facing Worthing on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
All times GMT.