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Brendan Rodgers: Champions League bid can't distract Leicester City

Watch Bournemouth vs Leicester live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm; Kick-off 7pm

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers
Image: Brendan Rodgers' Leicester have endured a difficult time since the Premier League restarted after the coronavirus suspension

Brendan Rodgers says if Leicester allow themselves to be distracted by their pursuit for Champions League football they will not finish in the top four.

Before lockdown, the Foxes were in fine form and looked certain to secure Champions League football for next season.

Since the return, however, they have won just once in five games, a run of form which, combined with Chelsea and Manchester United finding their groove, means the race for Europe looks set to go to the wire.

Rodgers takes his side to struggling Bournemouth on Sunday night and will instil the players with the motivation that focus is all-important.

"If we think about the Champions League and everything that's at stake, then we've lost our focus." he said. "And it's so important at this time - you'll hear the word but the definition of it is that we're not going to focus so much on the Champions League, or else you've lost it.

"We have to concentrate on our performance. The team is very excited about the period that we're in. When we were losing it wasn't so good but we had a really good win against Crystal Palace and a good point away at Arsenal.

"Now we have our next game and that's our only focus. I think we were unlucky not to have won before the Crystal Palace game but offensively we fell below the standard a couple of times."

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Rodgers will once again be unable to call upon the services of the injured James Maddison and Ben Chilwell, but he is confident he has players within his squad to fill the void left by such established names.

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"These are guys that have been real prominent players for us this season but I've got a big trust in the squad," he said.

"Of course we'll miss those players but we've guys like James Justin that have come in and been absolutely brilliant, he will only get better.

"Ryan Bennett has come off the bench and been absolutely superb, so for us, it's about the collective."

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