Claudio Ranieri sorry for Foxes home defeat

Claudio Ranieri has apologised to Leicester City fans after the club lost their unbeaten home record and raised concerns about fatigue amongst his squad.

Defeat to West Brom at the King Power Stadium on Sunday was the Foxes’ first defeat at home in the Premier League since September 2015.

The Italian manager is also attempting to balance multiple demands on his squad with success in the Champions League a clear priority for the club and the extra games seemed to weigh on the players against the Baggies.

Meanwhile, Danny Drinkwater and Jamie Vardy are just two members of the squad who have been called up for international duty leaving them little time to recuperate.

“I am very sorry we lost our unbeaten record at home,” Ranieri said.

“We knew it would be a tough match against West Bromwich. It was the same last season in the 2-2.

(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“I don’t know if they need rest but 80 per cent of my players go to international teams. They don’t have rest.

“They travel and when they come back it is two days before the Watford match. We have to work.

“We made a plan to go on the flank and make crosses from the flank but we made very few. Also the end we made some long balls and for the central defenders it was too easy.

“To say something is easy, to do it is more difficult. Maybe we had Champions League fatigue, I don’t know.”