Tiatto's return a 'lift' for City

Club captain Danny Tiatto is in the Leicester City squad for tomorrow's home game against Leeds and manager Rob Kelly is delighted insisting 'he lifts the place'.

Such a remark might raise the eyebrows of anyone who has been on the other end of a Tiatto tackle but Kelly was serious adding 'he is a good player, a good type' and 'it is good to have him back.'

Tiatto has been sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained early on in the defeat at Crystal Palace on January 2.

It has not been good year for the combative Australian. Leicester have played 40 League and Cup matches this season but Tiatto has started only 10 of them and was taken off in six. He also gathered three yellow cards plus two making a red in those games.

His record has been such that many fans have argued that he should have been stripped of the captaincy and the job given to current team captain Paddy McCarthy.

But, Kelly clearly has no doubt about his value and his return is a timely return given the long-term loss of fellow Aussie midfielder James Wesolowski.

It gives Kelly the choice of four genuine central midfield players in Gudjonsson, Hughes, Williams and Tiatto plus recent convert Alan Maybury who was outstanding in right midfield against Derby.

Kelly has had limited options so far with his team selections but Saturday could offer a pointer to where his managerial emphasis will lie.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.