Football
PA Sport 8y

Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel to have hernia operation after win over Swans

Kasper Schmeichel will undergo a hernia operation on Monday, but Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has allayed fears over his goalkeeper's fitness.

The Denmark international waved to the bench asking to be substituted early in the second half of Leicester's 2-1 home win over Swansea after rushing from his area to make a clearance. Summer signing Ron-Robert Zieler replaced him to make his debut for the club.

Ranieri revealed Schmeichel has been nursing a hernia problem for the past few weeks and that he was always scheduled for surgery on Monday, regardless of pulling up during Saturday's match.

Schmeichel is expected to be fit for the trip to Liverpool on September 10 following the international break and should not miss any fixtures.

Ranieri said: "Kasper play the last month with a little hernia and Monday he will have an operation. It will take four or five days but then he will be ready for the next match.

"It was in the program Monday and he wanted to play today and after he felt something so we make the change."

Leicester led 2-0 at the time of Schmeichel's departure following Jamie Vardy's first-half opener and Wes Morgan's strike early in the second half, and Riyad Mahrez had just spurned the chance to extend the lead after his penalty was saved by Lukasz Fabianski.

Vardy scored 24 goals last season but his emphatic finish to round off a lovely passing move by Leicester was his first of the current campaign.

Ranieri was asked before the game if opposing defences had figured Vardy out after last season's top scorer failed to find the net against Hull and Arsenal. The Italian said he was not worried and called Vardy a natural goal scorer -- he was proved right.

"The goal scorer always scores a goal," said Ranieri after his 100th Premier League victory as a manager. "Of course, some seasons a little more, some seasons a little less, but never never the goalscorer forgets the way.

"Of course it is important to score a goal for strikers because it is their life but for me it is important that the performance impress a lot and the first half was very, very outstanding for us.

"We wanted to score one more goal in the first half but in the beginning of the second half we play very well also and score a second goal. Then we miss a penalty and maybe the opponent got more confident and maybe we complicate a little our life.

"But it is good, three points and a first victory for us and I am very, very happy. It is 100 wins and now I want another 100."

Swansea manager Francesco Guidolin was not happy with his side's first-half showing at the King Power Stadium.

He said: "I think the result is correct as Leicester played well, in the first half they played very very well.

"In the first half we didn't play well but in the second half something we change. They scored another goal but we played higher and with more aggression and intensity.

"I was worried in the first half but in the second half we had more courage. I tell the players at half-time the game is not finished."

^ Back to Top ^