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Leicester City player ratings vs Genoa as pre-season ends in defeat

· Josh Holland · 2026-08-01 · nguồn gốc

Leicester City ended their pre-season with a 1-0 defeat to Genoa on Saturday night. Lorenzo Colombo’s goal in the second-half was the difference as Russell Martin’s men suffered their first defeat of the summer. However, the main negative came in the shape of Ben Nelson’s injury. With Conor Chaplin, Will Alves and Alex McCarthy all absent, Leicester were dealt another concern when Nelson was forced off in the first-half. The centre-back appeared to suffer an issue on his right leg and hobbled down the tunnel. City started the game the better of the two sides and had chances to make a breakthrough. New signing Liam Cullen was denied twice by Justin Bijlow while Sammy Braybrooke forced the goalkeeper into a quick save from close range. FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Leicester City news on LeicestershireLive’s Leicester City Facebook page! Get LeicestershireLIVE Premium now for just £1 HERE. You can also join our WhatsApp Community by clicking HERE There was a moment of concern for Leicester late in the first-half when Ben Nelson was forced off. The defender was involved in a tangle of legs when attempting to deal with a long ball and required treatment before coming off. City failed to control the game after the break, something that visibly frustrated Martin on the touchline. Their tempo and intensity dropped after the break, allowing Genoa the chance to enjoy possession. Mid-way through the second-half, the Italian side scored the opening goal through Lorenzo Colombo. The striker ran onto Ethan Meichtry's through ball and slotted past Jakub Stolarczyk after Luke Thomas was unable to delay the attack. Here is how the players got on... Jakub Stolarczyk The goalkeeper looked much better on the ball for City today and came off his line plenty of times to sweep up the ball. Played a perfect long ball over the Genoa defence that was well-received by Martin. Couldn’t have prevented the goal but made a good save late on. Jayden Joseph His impressive pre-season was rewarded with a start against Genoa and he was very good. Got forward so much down the right whilst showing superb composure on the ball. The most impressive Leicester player. Certainly strengthened his claims to start the new season. Caleb Okoli Celebrated a piece of defending on the hour-mark where he was left as the only man back on a counter-attack. His physicality and athleticism is a real advantage for City, especially when they press to win the ball on the first ball. Ben Nelson Strong defensively and intelligent with his forward passes, but major concerns with his injury. Appeared to be in major pain when he went down following a tangle and was helped down the tunnel. Luke Thomas Did well with Liam Cullen down the left before he came into the centre of defence. I'm not sure if he's ever played there before. He did OK but was involved in the opening goal with a poor touch. Didn’t look entirely out of place at centre-back. Oliver Skipp Passed by the game under the radar, with some nice passes through the lines. Wanted to see more from him in the second-half when Leicester struggled to get going. Sammy Braybrooke He is just getting better by the game. Had some neat touches to create overloads for Leicester and held his own well against some big players. Went quiet after the break, like most of Leicester's players. Has to start against Notts County. Liam Cullen Rotated with Reid in the front line but was mainly an attacking midfielder. Tidy on the ball and he got forward into space so much. Should have put City ahead with his two chances in the first 45 minutes. Failed to make an impact after the break. Woyo Coulibaly Linked up well with Joseph down the right but he's not a winger. Moved over to left-back when Ben Nelson came off and was OK defensively. Gave the ball away in the centre when under pressure, which angered Martin. Stephy Mavididi Mavididi looked dangerous in the first 15 minutes and formed a partnership with Cullen. Got frustrated as it went on. His combinations with Cullen were non-existent in the second half when the new signing moved to the right. Bobby De Cordova-Reid Dropped deep when the space let him and tried to make himself a passing option in build-up play. Isn't your typical striker so hard to judge his performance as a centre-forward. Struggled in the second-half. Substitutes Jake Evans (for Ben Nelson) Occasionally he was good and looked dangerous when driving with the ball. But other times he was weak and frustrating to watch. Looked dangerous on the ball and had the better of his full-back. Kirsten Otchere (for Bobby De Cordova-Reid) Nearly snuck the ball past the goalkeeper but was denied. Was only on the pitch for 10 minutes so didn’t get much chance.