Ranieri: Everybody Is In Good Condition

- The City boss explained Riyad Mahrez no longer has a problem after he came off against Watford with cramp 

- Ranieri revealed Matty James trained with the first team this week as part of his recover from a knee injury 

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says he has no new injury worries ahead of Monday evening’s Barclays Premier League clash with Newcastle United at King Power Stadium. 

Winger Riyad Mahrez was substituted with five minutes to play during his side’s 1-0 victory at Watford last weekend – a game the Algeria international scored a superb goal in to secure the points for City. 

But Ranieri said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that the winger was simply suffering from cramp, explaining: “Everybody is in good condition. There are no problems. It was a little cramp.” 

The Foxes will be without Matty James for the clash, but the midfielder made a positive step in his recovery from a knee injury after training ahead of the Newcastle fixture. 

Ranieri said of James: “Today (Thursday) he trained very well. The last week he trained with us. I hope he can make [an appearance] – I don’t know when. He’s a fantastic player.” 

One man the City boss is delighted to see back in action is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent three months out with a hamstring problem. 

“He’s very important for us,” Ranieri said of Schlupp. “Jeff has plenty of strength. He’s a fantastic player. We need him. 

“I’m very glad [he’s playing again]. He rested a lot of months and now we need him. He has to fight a lot.”