Five ways Leicester City can solve the frustrating PSV puzzle caused by January decision

Brendan Rodgers will have been breathing a sigh of relief that it was just cramp that forced Papy Mendy to be substituted during Leicester City’s draw with Manchester United.

But it does not solve the “puzzle” that the City boss faces ahead of this Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg against PSV Eindhoven.

In the space of a couple of months, Mendy has gone from forgotten man to one of the first names on the team sheet. With Wilfred Ndidi out for the rest of the season, the Senegalese international’s form at the base of the midfield will be crucial in determining if City’s Premier League campaign ends in success.

But he won’t be able to help in the Europa Conference League. Mendy was not registered when City updated their squad after the January transfer window, and it’s a decision that Rodgers has already expressed frustration over. But the time for frustration is over. Now it’s about solutions.

Rodgers said last week: “If you take out Wilf, and then when we go into European football, you take Papy out, then there’s another puzzle you need to solve because then you haven’t got that real defensive-type player, so then the pressing is even more important higher up the pitch.”

So who could be the missing piece to this particular puzzle? Here are five options that might work.

When Ndidi missed a portion of games in the autumn, it was summer signing Soumare who Rodgers opted for alongside Youri Tielemans, and he does feel like the most natural choice. He is used to playing as a sitting midfielder, and he certainly has the strength to win physical battles in there.

But over the past few weeks, the Frenchman has struggled to even make the matchday squad. Even knowing they had to be patient, the feeling