Leicester City team news vs Brentford: Daniel Amartey starts as Danny Ward wins keeper battle

Daniel Amartey has been handed a surprise Leicester City start in what could be a back three for the Premier League opener against Brentford.

Injuries to Ricardo Pereira and Harvey Barnes in the final pre-season game have prompted Brendan Rodgers to tinker with his side, and Amartey has been brought in. He looks set to play in a back three with Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans, with Timothy Castagne and James Justin as wing-backs.

However, there is a possibility that Amartey could play as a right-back, with Castagne taking up the right wing position he played against Sevilla last weekend. That would then see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall or James Maddison play on the left.

READ MORE: Leicester City vs Brentford live: Team news and match updates from Premier League opener

READ MORE: Chelsea receive Leicester City swap transfer demand after fresh claims made

But in a back three, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Wilfred Ndidi, and Youri Tielemans will all play centrally, with Maddison potentially pushing forward to play alongside Jamie Vardy in attack. Both Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho are on the bench.

In goal, Danny Ward is fit to start and makes just his second Premier League appearance for the club. The Wales international has not featured in pre-season, but has built his fitness over the past week to earn himself a place between the sticks, with Daniel Iversen on the bench.

Also among the substitutes are Dennis Praet, who could make his first appearance in 16 months, and Ayoze Perez, who missed out last week against Sevilla through illness. There is no place in the squad for Jannik Vestergaard, Boubakary Soumare, nor Hamza Choudhury.

City (possible 3-5-2): Ward; Amartey, Fofana, Evans; Castagne, Tielemans, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Justin; Maddison, Vardy. Subs: Iversen, Thomas, Soyuncu, Mendy, Praet, Albrighton, Perez, Iheanacho, Daka.