Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri heading to Rome during international break

Claudio Ranieri plans to visit his family in Rome during the international break in his latest bid to avoid pressure building on him and his Leicester team.

The Italian oversaw a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday, secured by Riyad Mahrez's 17th goal of the season, which temporarily extended their advantage at the top of the Premier League to eight points.

Second-placed Tottenham's 3-0 defeat of Bournemouth on Sunday again reduced that lead to five, but with only seven league fixtures left that remains significant, particularly given Leicester's momentum and apparent defensive improvement.

Ranieri's laid-back approach has done much to contribute to his team's beneficial sense of freedom, and asked how he will take advantage of the international break, he responded: "I go to Italy now. I go to the family, maybe I go to watch some matches but I am not sure. I go to the family in Rome.

"[The squad and I] don't speak about the title. We are speaking about our performance, how we play the last match and how we must play today.

"That is our focus. When I say my players are very concentrated before the match, during the match, I am very calm.

"Okay, we can win, we can lose, but our performance is good. And then when our performance is good, you can't tell them anything because if they make a mistake, it is normal."