Thursday 16 February 2017 15:34, UK
Claudio Ranieri says Premier League survival is Leicester’s priority and admits his side’s disappointing run of form is "serious".
The Foxes have not won or scored in the league since December 31, only picking up FA Cup victories against Everton and Derby in 2017 ahead of their trip to Millwall in the fifth round of the competition on Saturday.
Last season's Premier League champions, who are just one point and one place above the relegation zone and will be without Islam Slimani and potentially Leonardo Ulloa for the weekend, travel to Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday but Ranieri says their goal is to secure top-flight survival.
"Our target is the Premier League. That's it," he said. "Of course, we play in FA Cup, in Champions League, and we do our best. But our goal is to be safe, to stay in the Premier League.
"Against Derby I played the other players, and I want to give another opportunity to show how they are good.
"This is serious. We know very well. But we are more solid, more close together, because only like this can we go out.
"He [Slimani] feels something in his groin and we are waiting for him. For this match he is not available. [Ulloa's] started to train but not properly because he always feels something. Today he didn't finish the session and then we have to wait to see him back. I can't tell you something until the medical staff tell me he's 100 per cent fit."
Ranieri says his players understand the situation they now find themselves in but insists the squad must remain united and revealed he has drawn on his first experience in Italy's top flight as a manager where he led Cagliari to Serie A safety.
"It's difficult to say what is right, what is wrong. For me it is important to stay close to my players. We were fighting last season, we are fighting this season. If we change our mood, we will be safe," he added.
"When you work hard, when you believe in something, in the end, you will achieve something. We only need one win, one win, to change things.
"I remember when I was first time in Serie A, we were down the bottom, no one was speaking about Cagliari. And we were safe, one day before the final match. With Parma, we went down, but we were positive right to the end. There are the little details, but you have to continue."
Millwall are sixth in the Sky Bet League One table but their last defeat in all competitions came before Christmas and they have knocked Premier League sides Watford and Bournemouth out of the FA Cup on their way to a home clash with Leicester.
As a result, Ranieri believes the Premier League champions should be considered as underdogs ahead of the tie.
"They beat Bournemouth and Watford, from December 17 they are winning, or don't lose. Everything is fantastic. They are a fighter. We know everything. We are positive," he said.
"We are underdog. If they beat Bournemouth and Watford, they are on top of us."
