BREAKING NEWS:Leicester city reveals the sudden retirement of player_Ricardo Pereira

Leicester City only have one player out through injury as things stand, which means there are calls for van Nistelrooy to make when he picks his side to face Manchester United

Leicester City are as close to having a fully-fit squad as they have been all season, but it means there are tougher decisions for Ruud van Nistelrooy to make.

With Ricardo Pereira back on the pitch for the first time in four months, City only have Abdul Fatawu on the sidelines, the winger out for the season following an ACL tear.

That gives van Nistelrooy 22 fit senior outfield players to choose from. However, only 18 can make his squad.

Provided no further players pick up injuries, four will have to miss out every week. Against Chelsea, Oliver Skipp travelled with the squad but did not make the bench, while Jannik Vestergaard, Kasey McAteer, and Odsonne Edouard were left at home.

Vestergaard’s absence was perhaps the biggest surprise given he had started just 10 days earlier when City lost at West Ham.

In recent weeks, van Nistelrooy had been including all four of his centre-backs in his matchday squad, despite playing with a back four.

Now he’s using a back five, but chose to have only three centre-backs, with Wout Faes and Conor Coady joined in the middle of the defence by Luke Thomas, and with Caleb Okoli on the bench.

Vestergaard’s absence is unlikely to be bemoaned by supporters though, especially if it allows more forward-thinking options to make the bench, with Ricardo back involved and Woyo Coulibaly, likely a wing-back in the new system, also returning to the squad.

But there will be questions over the other absentees. Skipp’s inability to even make the bench will see eyebrows raised further over the £20m spent on him.