James Maddison among Leicester players dropped for Covid-19 breach

Three Leicester players, including England midfielder James Maddison, were dropped for the 3-2 defeat at West Ham for breaching Covid-19 protocols.

Manager Rodgers added that all three will be in contention for next Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.

“We have a set of values for the team, for this club and we have to adhere to that,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.

“It was a decision I made, an internal situation last weekend. It is not the standard we expect. They are all good guys, good lads, but we have a standard on and off the pitch.

“The boys will rejoin the group after this game. It’s internal, it’s something we have dealt with. The boys, it’s disappointing behaviour, it’s a mistake. It’s not what we are about.”

Leicester’s defeat at West Ham weakened their position in the top four of the Premier League, with the Hammers moving up to fourth, within one point of the third-placed Foxes.

In a statement released on Sunday, Leicester said: “The club has made its expectations around adherence to Covid-19 protocols abundantly clear to all its personnel.

“It is extremely disappointing, therefore, to learn of a breach that had the potential to undermine the efforts of club staff to protect the environments in which our teams train and play. Appropriate measures have been taken to prevent our team bubbles being compromised.

“We wholly expect our people to behave in a way that reflects the national effort and the sacrifices made by our communities to control the spread of the virus. Those involved have apologised for their poor judgement.

“Our response to the matter will be concluded internally.”

Maddison has been a key player for Leicester this season, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions.

He is in contention for a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s European Championship finals.

Perez has provided three goals in 27 appearances, while Choudhury has scored once in 20 games.