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.
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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. He’s had a good week. He’s a very important player for us. But for us it is about the team. James gives us another dimension, and his importance is clear to see. But ultimately it’s about the team effort.
“He’s a fantastic player. The players who are really good players, that’s how you know, not just on what they do, but in how they make others better. If you look at any team, like Casemiro at Manchester United, it’s no coincidence that when he plays that they look like a much different team. He’s a top player.
“That’s always how you judge that. That’s where James has grown to, he’s a very influential player for us.”
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