EXCLUSIVE: “Rowett ADMITS He’s Dying to Unleash Veteran Star—But Ben Nelson and Caleb Okoli Are Making It Almost Impossible! Foxes Fans, Who Gets the Axe?”

Gary Rowett is “desperately” eager to unleash a Leicester City star but simply cannot justify his inclusion right now.

The Leicester City boss has stuck with the same centre-back tandem for all five of his matches at the helm, and the clean sheet he’s been craving finally arrived against Bristol City.

Leicester City manager Gary Rowett “desperately” wants to start Jamaal Lascelles but does not believe he can justify dropping Ben Nelson nor Caleb Okoli.

Lascelles has made only one start for the Foxes since his winter move from Newcastle, and has featured for just 15 minutes since Rowett took charge.

It initially appeared the seasoned defender would become a pivotal figure for City following a strong display at Birmingham under Andy King, but a minor setback ruled him out of Rowett’s first few games, and he’s been unable to force his way back into the side since. The 32-year-old has been an unused substitute for the last two outings.

Rowett has consistently highlighted the value of experience and craves the leadership qualities Lascelles offers on the pitch.

Yet he’s reluctant to sacrifice either Nelson or Okoli, both of whom have left a strong impression on the manager.

“Generally as a centre-half, the more you build that confidence in your defensive shape then people like Ben start to keep improving his performances,” Rowett said. “You’ve seen that in the last few games, him and Caleb, to keep Jamaal out of the team.

“He’s one that I’ve desperately wanted to get in the team because of his leadership qualities, but I think every time I feel I can play Jamaal, one of the other two step up and perform. I thought at Ipswich they were excellent and then were really good again (against Bristol City).”

Having finally kept a clean sheet together to snap City’s six-month wait for a shutout, Okoli and Nelson are poised to feature again on Saturday against QPR.

Rowett has also admitted he’s not keen on tinkering excessively with his lineup, particularly while striving for greater consistency in defensive shape.

However, he has acknowledged City’s “struggles” to sustain energy levels during three-game weeks, meaning a few adjustments to the side this weekend can’t be ruled out.