A trio of first-team players were absent from the squad for City’s second pre-season game of Friday against Bundesliga side FC Koln at Sturm Graz’s Merkur Arena…

Ricardo Pereira and Stephy Mavididi are surprise absentees from the Leicester City line-up as they take on FC Koln in their second pre-season friendly on Friday.

Having not played in the 2-1 victory over Karpaty Lviv, Ricardo and Mavididi were expected to be involved at the Merkur Arena, but neither make the squad.

Mads Hermansen is also absent again as he continues his recovery from a groin injury, the City goalkeeper yet to make an appearance in pre-season.

With no Ricardo, it means Bade Aluko starts in the back four, the teenager, who has impressed at centre-back in pre-season, moving back to his usual position at full-back, likely at left-back.

James Justin will be on the opposite side, while Conor Coady and Jannik Vestergaard start at centre-back.

Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp play in midfield with Louis Page coming into the fold ahead of them.

Jeremy Monga is out on the left with Kasey McAteer on the right and Jordan Ayew up front.

Abdul Fatawu, after his first appearance for City in eight months last weekend, is on the bench again. He’s joined there by the players who were substitutes in Friday morning’s game.

City XI v Koln (4-2-3-1): Stolarczyk; Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Aluko; Winks, Skipp; McAteer, Page, Monga; Ayew. Subs: Donohue, Coulibaly, Joseph, Nelson, Marcal, Fatawu, S Thomas.