Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has hailed Jonny Evans as one of the "best centre-halves in European football" as he prepares to welcome back the Northern Ireland man from injury.
Evans looks set to return against former club Manchester United on Saturday.
And his first job will be to shackle red-hot Cristiano Ronaldo.
Evans, 33, plagued by a foot injury and illness, has been desperately missed this season – lumbering the Foxes with one of the leakiest defences in the Premier League.
King Power boss Rodgers is quite open about how much Evans brings to the party, saying: “Jonny is a top defender – one of the best centre-halves in European football.
“He’s playing in the most competitive league in the world and his reading of the game, and reading of situations is just top drawer.
“He’s such a colossal player for us. He knows how we want to play the game.
“Ultimately he’s a defender who wants to defend. He has that built-in football brain which is what being a top-class defender is all about.”
