Milton Keynes Dons vs Leicester City. Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
Stadium:mkAttendance15,495.
Match report and highlights as Leicester beat MK Dons in Carabao Cup; Premier League side cruise into the quarter-finals with goals from Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy; game was Foxes' first since November 12 but sees them record sixth win in last seven fixtures
Tuesday 20 December 2022 23:24, UK
Leicester eased themselves back into action after the World Cup break with a comfortable 3-0 win at MK Dons that secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The Foxes hadn't taken the field since their 2-0 win at West Ham on November 12 but showed little rust as they picked up where they left off at Stadium MK.
Brendan Rodgers' side took the lead in the 18th minute when Youri Tielemans - captaining the side for the evening - turned home the rebound after goalkeeper Jamie Cumming saved Jamie Vardy's backheeled effort.
Ayoze Perez (29) doubled Leicester's lead after brilliantly controlling Luke Thomas' lofted pass, and Vardy completed the scoring in the 50th minute with a glanced header that left Cumming with no chance and capped off an impressive evening's work for Rodgers' side.
Leicester endured a dreadful start to the season, failing to win any of their first seven Premier League matches, but look set to enter the new year full of optimism.
Their league form has been transformed since a 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest on October 3 that triggered a run of five wins from eight league games, and the Foxes also look well-placed to launch a serious bid to win the Carabao Cup.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are already out and one of Liverpool and Manchester City will join them given they play each other in the fourth round on Thursday night - live on Sky Sports - leaving Rodgers' side as one of the leading contenders.
Leicester played like a side determined to make the most of their opportunity in the competition, with victory secured within 50 minutes thanks to Tielemans, Perez and Vardy's goals.
Thomas was instrumental in setting up the first two strikes with defence-splitting passes, while fellow full-back Castagne claimed the credit for the inch-perfect assist for the third.
MK Dons - under the guidance of Bradley Johnson after caretaker manager Dean Lewington underwent planned surgery on Tuesday - may believe the game would have gone very differently had referee Andre Marriner dismissed Wout Faes for an apparent foul on Daniel Harvie on the edge of the Leicester box just before the 30-minute mark.
However, the official waved play on and a minute later Perez was celebrating, killing off the League One side's hopes and ensuring Leicester go into their Boxing Day clash with Newcastle with a spring in their step.
Leicester assistant manager Chris Davies says James Maddison is set to return to action against Newcastle despite not playing a minute for England at the World Cup and missing the Foxes' win at MK Dons.
"We just need to get him up to speed really," said Davies. "He'll be training this week.
"He was training with England. He didn't train initially when he first went but then he did.
"He is fine. He will be training with us this week and he's fine. It is just a question of getting him up to speed.
"James came back a little bit later than the other guys that played tonight from the World Cup, so he was not up to speed to play, just as the other guys wouldn't if they came back later.
"I would expect him to be available for Boxing Day."
It was an unusual night for MK Dons, who had midfielder Bradley Johnson stepping in on the touchline for interim manager Dean Lewington, who replaced the sacked Liam Manning on a temporary basis 10 days ago.
Lewington was absent due to hamstring surgery, leaving Johnson to take the reins from the sidelines for the first time, and he said: "I enjoyed it. It is different, but the situation we find ourselves in as a club, we all want to help out.
"Skip [Lewington] has done it, he has had his operation, the club asked me to do it and I was more than happy to do it.
"The situation we are in, everyone has to fight together and if I am called upon to do it again, I am more than happy to.
"I am proud of the lads. Before the game we said there was nothing to fear and to test ourselves against Premier League opposition and see what we can do. In periods we did well.
"Ultimately they are top a quality side and it was tough for the lads."
MK Dons host Forest Green Rovers at Stadium MK on Boxing Day; kick-off 3pm.
Leicester are also in action on Boxing Day as they welcome Newcastle to the King Power Stadium in their first game back in the Premier League following the World Cup; kick-off 3pm.
