3 Leicester City players that must save King Power Stadium career before January - ft Stephy Mavididi | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at three Foxes stars that must find a way into Cifuentes' thinking before the winter window arrives.

Leicester City are among the early-season Championship promotion contenders, but the January transfer window could see a host of players step off the Foxes train.

Marti Cifuentes looks to have constructed a Leicester team that is very tough to beat at second tier level, with his side tasting just one defeat from their opening nine league games of the season.

There have been four draws in that time, however, which is the cause for moderate levels of frustration among the King Power Stadium faithful despite the fact they currently occupy third place in the Championship, and are just two points behind Middlesbrough in second.

The club continues to grapple with off the field financial issues too, which did significantly restrict the type and volume of transfer business they were able to conduct in the summer transfer window.

As such, January looks to be another prime opportunity for Leicester City to raise some further funds, in an attempt to get as far back in the footballing authority's good books as possible.

Football League World takes a look at three Foxes players who must make a big Cifuentes impression before then, if they are to perhaps save their King Power careers...

Hamza Choudhury

Hamza Choudhury hasn't quite found his place under Cifuentes yet.

The 28-year-old Bangladesh international is a highly versatile player, capable of operating at right-back as well as in central midfield.

It's the former position in which he's been seeing his minutes come from for Leicester so far this season, but it was the latter that he saw a lot of action in whilst on loan at Sheffield United last term.

As such, his versatility and proven Championship quality would mean he's surely a player that many second tier gaffers would love to have at their disposal, but the presence of veteran full-back Ricardo Pereira has made cementing a starting role on the right side of defence extremely challenging for Choudhury so far.

He's started just four of the nine league games so far, and has been an unused substitute in two of Leicester's last three games prior to the international break: West Brom and Swansea City away respectively.

Therefore, now firmly in the prime of his career and having shown that he is a quality performer at Championship level with the likes of Sheffield United, Watford and Leicester City respectively, he may well have one eye on the door if his game time doesn't improve come January.

It feels like a big couple of months for Choudhury's Leicester career, as he could be deemed expendable in the winter window if he can't craft out a larger role under Cifuentes.

Oliver Skipp

One of the more high-profile names in the Leicester City squad, Oliver Skipp has some serious pedigree to his name.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has 101 Premier League appearances on his CV, with 24 of those coming with Leicester last season, whilst the rest has been with Spurs.

A former England youth international, Skipp also has a handful of Champions League and UEFA Conference League outings under his belt too, and was once one of the most highly-regarded young English talents given he'd made his Premier League debut for Tottenham at the age of 18 back in December 2018.

However, after just not quite being able to hold down a starting role in North London, he eventually signed for Leicester in August of last year, in a deal that could be worth up to £25m.

But, after making just 10 Premier League starts for the Foxes last season, and starting just four of the team's opening nine Championship games this term, Skipp hasn't yet established himself as a key player for the Foxes.

Indeed, he's been an unused substitute in three of the last four league games, and with Jordan James, Harry Winks and Boubakary Soumare all for company, he may well be resigned to a fourth-choice role in central midfield this year.

For a player of his pedigree, and given he's still only 25, regular game time must be crucial for him moving forward, and if he can't impress Cifuentes enough between now and January to receive that at the King Power, then the winter window could be an ideal time for all parties to move on from what has so far been an expensive transfer mistake.

Stephy Mavididi

A player with Arsenal and Juventus pedigree to his name, Stephy Mavididi's career looks to be at a real risk of stagnating with Leicester City.

The 27-year-old winger had enjoyed three solid seasons playing French Ligue 1 football with Montpellier before signing for the Foxes in the summer of 2023.

In his first season at the King Power, the former England youth international established himself as one of the best attackers in the Championship, appearing in all 46 of the team's second tier games that term, with his 12 goals and six assists playing a key role in helping Enzo Maresca's side be crowned second tier champions.

Since then, however, his contributions in a Leicester shirt have been pretty modest, as he's failed to build from his excellent debut campaign in blue and white colours.

Mavididi scored just four goals and provided one assist in 30 Premier League appearances last term, and is still searching for his first direct goal contribution of any kind in the Championship this campaign.

Indeed, he's gone seven appearances without registering a goal or an assist so far this year, and with the highly-exciting 16-year-old Jeremy Monga now being favoured over him on the left flank, he appears to have lost his grip on a starting role at the King Power.

Monga looks like a superb young talent, and as such, with Mavididi turning 28 next May, it could soon be time for a changing of the guard down the Leicester left.

Mavididi could still burst into life at any given moment, such is his proven talent level in the Championship, but he's going to have to do that soon otherwise Cifuentes and the Leicester hierachy could see him as being an ideal fundraising opportunity this winter.