Ex-Hatter James Justin faces significant spell on the sidelines after Foxes boss confirms ACL injury against Brighton

Former Town defender James Justin has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury for Leicester City.

The ex-Hatter had been in stunning form for Brendan Rodgers' side this term and was tipped for a first senior England call-up when Gareth Southgate names his Three Lions squad next month.

However, Justin, who has made 31 appearances in what was becoming a stand-out campaign for the Luton-born 22-year-old, fell awkwardly in the 1-0 FA Cup win over Brighton on Wednesday night and had to be stretchered off.

It was first thought that the full back, who played 114 times for Town, scoring six goals, before his move to the King Power Stadium in the summer of 2019, would initially be okay, but speaking to the press this afternoon, Rodgers confirmed the worst, saying: "The scan hasn’t shown up so well, it’s a massive blow for us – it looks like he’s blown his ACL.

"He’s been incredible for us, played in so many positions and been a minimum 8/10 in all of them.

"He’s tough mentally and physically, that’s what makes him the boy he is.

"It will make him stronger. He was upset yesterday because he’s been so robust, he’s played nearly every game.

"Every player is different. If you look at Ricardo's time frame, it will either a little shorter or around that time.

"We’re taking every opinion on it, we’ll take it from there."