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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
James Nursey

James Maddison suffers health scare to take shine off Leicester's emphatic European win

James Maddison suffered a health scare to mar Leicester’s emphatic European win on Thursday night.

Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes look set for the Europa Conference League last 16 after winning their play-off first leg 4-1.

But Maddison was subbed in the 83rd minute against Danish side Randers just 19 minutes after coming on.

The ace was helped from the field after staying down before medics came on and took his pulse.

Maddison then walked down the tunnel by himself and went to the medical room.

Leicester boss Rodgers said: "He just felt a bit funny in the game. We didn't want to put any risk with that. He didn't feel well so we took him off.

"He went in to see the doctors but I have just spoken to him. He was sat up, he felt a little unwell in the game and a little faint but he is OK."

Maddison’s substitution took the shine off a morale-boosting win which ended City’s alarming slump.

Will Leicester win the inaugural Europa Conference League? Give your verdict in the comments!

James Maddison was substituted off just 19 minutes after coming on (Getty Images)

Wilfred Ndidi, Harvey Barnes , Patson Daka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were all on target in the comfortable win.

With Leicester 11th in the Premier League - 10 points behind seventh-placed Wolves with 16 matches to go - this competition is their only remaining shot a trophy.

And winning the inaugural Conference League could be their best route to automatically qualify for the 2022-23 Europa League group stage too.

Leicester made a dominant start and took the lead in the 23rd minute when Ndidi slotted in his second of the season from six yards after exchanging passes with Ademola Lookman out wide on the left after a home corner wasn’t cleared.

Leicester nearly doubled their lead in the 25th minute when Barnes roared into the box but keeper Patrik Carlgren stood firm to make the block.

Dewsbury-Hall was also denied by Carlgren who kept out his goal-bound shot with his out-stretched toe.

The impressive Carlgren also blocked a fierce volley from Caglar Soyuncu before Daniel Amartey somehow headed the rebound wide.

Leicester had 11 first half efforts but Randers went in level totally against the run of play. Tosin Kehinde crossed from the right in the 45th minute and Vito Hammershoj-Mistrati planted a low first time left-foot finish past Kasper Schmeichel, who got a hand to it.

Wilfred Ndidi opened the scoring for Leicester in the first half (Getty Images)

Leicester regained their composure and come out firing against the Danish side, who are still in their domestic winter break.

Barnes capitalised on a mix up in the Randers' defence to turn and fire in his sixth goal of the season with a left-foot effort in the 49th minute.

Daka made it two goals in eight minutes with his 10th of the season after Carlgren saved Youri Tielemans’ shot and it fell for the striker to convert.

There was a whiff of offside about the goal but there was no VAR to overrule the referee.

Patrik Carlgren had a fine game in the Randers goal despite conceding four times (Getty Images)

Impressive academy graduate Dewsbury-Hall scored his first home goal for City with a low right-foot finish from Lookman's pass to round off the win in the 74th minute.

Rodgers, whose side have won just once in six League games, added: “I thought we started well in the first half and created numerous opportunities in the first and second half.

“Their keeper has made some fantastic saves. But I am delighted. It is obviously only the first game but to get the four goals and create so much was very encouraging.”

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