Five things you may have missed in Leicester City vs Charlton Athletic, including Bilal El Khannous dilemma

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There were many positives and negatives for both Leicester City and Charlton Athletic to take away from the Foxes’ 1-0 win.

Charlton Athletic looked dangerous in the opening stanza, maintaining the majority of possession and testing Foxes goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski on a number of occasions.

After going in 0-0 at the half, the Addicks went close to taking the lead after Kayne Ramsey’s effort was saved on the line. Charlton Athletic would live to rue that mistake after a brilliant left-footed effort from Abdul Fatawu gave Leicester City lift off at The Valley.

Leicester City went on to record a vital win on their travels, but here are five things you may have missed from the contest…

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Leicester City will struggle without Bilal El Khannous

With it looking likely that Bilal El Khannous is closing in on a move to Crystal Palace, the Moroccan international was left out of the squad against Charlton Athletic.

His notable absence took the bite out of Leicester’s attack, and they looked very predictable against a defensive Charlton unit.

Louis Page was brought in at the No.10 role, but Foxes fans will be hoping that progress is made in the remainder of the summer window to replace the attacking midfielder sufficiently.

Charlton Athletic were unlucky not to make late pressure count

Whilst Charlton Athletic were looking comfortable in the contest against Leicester City before Abdul Fatawu’s goal, the wonderstrike from the Foxes man sparked extra urgency from Nathan Jones’ side.

The Addicks had the majority of possession and looked to bombard Leicester City, and they thought they had their reward when Lloyd Jones bundled it into the goal, but it was disallowed after a foul was spotted on the setpiece.

It was not to be for Charlton Athletic, who arguably deserved a point after a positive performance, but it is a sign that they will be able to deal with the Championship big boys this season.

Leicester City lack creativity in midfield

The Foxes’ previous campaign in the Championship under Enzo Maresca saw Leicester City possess plenty of flair and creativity in the centre of the park, particularly through the qualities of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

However, it is clear that Leicester City, a year later, still lack a Dewsbury-Hall figure in their side, which results in a depleted number of chances created.

Marti Cifuentes opted for a fortified midfield two of Oli Skipp and Boubakary Soumare, and whilst this provides cover to the Leicester backline, it makes the Foxes rather one-dimensional on the front foot. 

Thankfully, from a Foxes perspective, they were able to rely on a moment of magic from Abdul Fatawu for inspiration at The Valley.

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Nathan Jones has made The Valley a fortress

It was always expected that Charlton Athletic would make it difficult for Leicester City, and Nathan Jones’ side did just that.

Newly promoted sides often have to sit patiently and await openings on the counterattack, but the Addicks play with such confidence that they can shut Leicester out for large periods and maintain possession.

Charlton Athletic successfully made The Valley a difficult place to go in the latter half of the 2024/25 season, and they have crucially managed to maintain that in the Championship, something that will be crucial to any success Jones’ side achieves this campaign.

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Louis Page needs time to thrive for the Foxes

Leicester City turned towards Louis Page to fill the vacant No.10 role left by Bilal El Khannous, which would always be difficult to live up to, especially for a 17-year-old.

Page has a high ceiling and there is plenty more to see from the youngster, but it could be argued that he was dropped into the deep end with a start against a bullying Addicks side.

The Leicester man rarely found himself on the ball, often being evaded in the Foxes’ attacks, with Marti Cifuentes being keen to utilise Issahaku Fatawu on the right flank as his main threat.

In what was a fairly dominant game for Charlton Athletic, it is hoped that Page can take on the positives of notching his first Championship start and can build on that for upcoming games.