Brendan Rodgers identifies Casemiro's best quality at Manchester United in James Maddison point

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has compared James Maddison to Manchester United midfielder Casemiro - saying both players have the ability to improve those around them.

Casemiro has been a revelation since joining Manchester United from Real Madrid last summer, an ever-present in anchoring the midfield and forming a solid central base in front of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

The 30-year-old has even enjoyed an evolution of his own, with five goals and five assists across all competitions. But as important as his own form this season has been the marked improvement of those around him, not least in midfield where Fred is enjoying arguably his best form since arriving in Manchester while the likes of Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford have been outstanding. RATINGS: Garnacho and Weghorst good in West Ham win Leicester have been without Maddison since their defeat at Old Trafford in mid-February, losing against Arsenal and Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup.

And Rodgers believes his midfielder's quality is such that he improves those around him - a sign of elite players like Casemiro. “James should hopefully be fine,” Rodgers said at his press conference on Thursday afternoon. “Fingers crossed he gets through the rest of the week okay.