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Leicester boss Nigel Pearson calls extra pressue 'ludicrous'

Boss Nigel Pearson has dismissed any extra pressure as "ludicrous" despite Leicester slipping into the drop zone.

The Foxes go to Southampton on Saturday having lost four of their last five games to fall into the Premier League's bottom three.

Leicester earned plaudits for their start, beating Manchester United 5-3 and drawing with Arsenal and Everton before their mini-slump.

And Pearson brushed off the unwanted spotlight and insisted it does not concern him.

"I'm under no more pressure than any other week, whether it is this year, last year or any other year," he told reporters.

"The pressure I'm under is the pressure I put on myself. If that is the case, it is all pretty ludicrous. I have to continue to manage people's expectations through hysteria and depression. It seems to be one or the other.

"My expectations are pretty realistic. The goals we have for our group of players remains the same. I want us to maximise our own ability. I'm not measuring our performance against other teams' capabilities. I'm measuring it against what I know we're capable of and what I know needs to be us meeting the demands of the Premier League.

"I'm not going to waste any time getting involved in the fluctuations of other people's emotional states."

The Foxes' only point in the last five games came in their 2-2 draw with Burnley, where they conceded a last-minute equaliser.

They have lost the last three without scoring but five-goal striker Leonardo Ulloa is expected to return at St Mary's after being rested for last week's 1-0 defeat to West Brom with a minor groin problem.

"When you have soft tissue injuries, fatigue is the main contributory factor to a repeat," continued Pearson. "It's about making sure the players are in the best physical condition because we need everyone 100 percent.

"There is a danger because of his goal return - five in nine starts is very good - that we need to make sure we weigh in elsewhere."