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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

TEENAGE sensation, Tawanda Maswanhise, looks set to pick from where he left off last season, as he battles to consolidate his place in the Leicester City first team.

The 18-year-old, who was born in England, is among the development players, training with the senior team, in preparation for the new season.

Most of the Leicester City squad have now returned to pre-season as manager Brendan Rodgers prepares his men for a tough Premier League and Europa League campaign.

Those players, who progressed past the group stage of Euro 2020, were absent from Seagrave this week, as were new signings, Zambian Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumare.

City are preparing for their first friendly against Burton Albion, next Saturday, with those who have been in training this week likely to feature heavily.

The Leicestershire Mercury has predicted Maswanhise will start in the first XI, which also includes Foxes senior team stars like Jamie Vardy, and Wilfred Ndidi.

“It is common for teams to play to different line-ups, in each half, during their first friendly, with some youngsters available to come off the bench in case of injury, or if a player is only fit enough to play half an hour,” reported the Leicestershire Live.

“This friendly marks a good chance for Rodgers to integrate some young players into the squad.

“Yesterday, youngsters Wanya Marcal-Madivadua, Kian Pennant and Jake Wakeling joined the first team at Seagrave.

“They joined teammates Shane Flynn, Ben Nelson, Thanawat Suengchittawon, Sammy Braybrooke and Tawanda Maswanhise, who all started training under Rodgers on Monday.”

Maswanhise, who was a surprise inclusion in the Leicester City’s first team squad to face Manchester United in an English Premiership match at Old Trafford, towards the end of last season, plays for the Foxes Under-18s.

He is among the scholars who have been offered their first professional contracts by the Foxes.

However, the teen is still to put pen to paper.

He is expected to link up with Steve Beaglehole’s Development Squad next term, if he signs.

“Scholar Bailey Aisthorpe has extended his contract, while City are waiting on answers from four more of their youngsters.

“They are winger Tawanda Maswanhise, who was included on the bench at Manchester United at the end of the campaign, Portuguese midfielder Wanya Marcal-Madivadua, who has attracted interest from abroad, midfielder Ethan Fitzhugh, who was on the bench in the Europa League this campaign, and striker Will Russ, who first represented the club’s Under-23s aged just 15.”

City’s Under-23s got relegated to the Premier League 2 Division Two last season, while the Under-18s finished 12th of 13 teams in the Under-18 Premier League South.

Four scholars have also been released.

They are Johnson Gyamfi, Adam Leathers, Daniel Obi, and Johnly Yfeko.

Maswanhise is the son of former top Zimbabwean sprinter Jeffrey Masvanhise, who told The Herald, in previous interviews, he wants his son to represent his fatherland, if given the opportunity.

Leicester City were also home to Zimbabwean forward, Admiral Muskwe, for 14 years, before the striker was sold to Championship side, Luton Town, this week.

Muskwe played for the Foxes Development team and was a member of the Under-23 side in the last few seasons.

However, the 22-year-old could not break into the senior team.