Vardy misses out at Norwich as Barnes returns to Leicester starting XI

Jamie Vardy (£9.7m) is absent from the Leicester squad named to face Norwich in Blank Gameweek 28.

There were rumours from on social media circulating roughly an hour before the team news dropped indicating that the striker was out injured.

At 19:00 GMT, those murmurings were revealed to be completely accurate.

It is Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.7m) who has been chosen to lead Leicester’s attack at Carrow Road, while Harvey Barnes (£6.0m) returns to the side to operate on the left flank of an attacking midfield trio.

The Englishman is joined there by James Maddison (£7.4m) and Ayoze Pérez (£6.2m), the latter expected to be on penalties in light of Vardy’s most recent injury-related absence.

Meanwhile, Emi Buendía (£6.0m) returns for Norwich, who shape-up in the usual 4-2-3-1.

Teemu Pukki (£6.5m) leads the line, while Jamal Lewis (£ comes in for the injured Sam Byram (£4.4m).

With Christoph Zimmermann (£4.4m) added to the physio room, Ben Godfrey (£4.4m) is paired with Grant Hanley (£4.0m) at centre-back.

Norwich City XI: Krul; Lewis, Godfrey, Hanley, Aarons; Tettey, McLean; Cantwell, Duda, Buendía; Pukki.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel; Chilwell, Söyüncü, Evans, R Pereira; Choudhury, Praet; H Barnes, Maddison, Pérez; Iheanacho.