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Leicester — Leicester defender Christian Fuchs admits the Premier League champions are losing some of their best players to the Africa Cup of Nations, but feels they have the depth to cope.

Club Player of the Season Riyad Mahrez as well as record signing Islam Slimani will represent Algeria at the tournament in Gabon, while central midfielder Daniel Amartey will be playing for Ghana.

Another Ghana international, Jeff Schlupp, has not been selected by Black Stars manager Avram Grant.

The tournament kicks off on January 14, with the final set of fixtures to take place on February 5, and several Premier League clubs are set to be without some key African players for the next few weeks.

But Fuchs believes the English champions have a good enough squad to cope.

“These are very essential players for us. We can talk about how it will hurt us and make us weaker but it is the time for the other guys to step up and show they are needed,” the left-back told the Leicester Mercury.

“That is why we have a squad and to put in performances. They have to show they should be in the starting 11.

“For example Andy King, he is a great servant to the club. He has been here such a long time and always plays his part.”

Leicester next face Everton in an all-Premier League FA Cup third-round clash on Saturday at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has hit out at his critics calling for instant success in his debut season in the Premier League, saying that it is a process.

The former Bayern Munich mentor enjoyed a bright start to life at the Etihad Stadium winning his first ten games in all competitions.

But since then the Citizens showed their vulnerabilities as they embarked on six-game spell without victory.

City subsequently won eight of their following 14 games in all competitions and Guardiola has come under scrutiny for his team’s inconsistent performances.

“When I came here people expected a lot of things from me and my staff because we won a lot of prizes in the past,” he told the Telegraph.

“The best football I played at Barcelona was the last year, much better than when we won the Treble or when we won six titles [trophies] in a row.

“My last year at Munich was much, much better than my first.

“So here, the last day I will be manager, I will be better than now. You need to make mistakes, to understand many things and understand players,” he added.

The two-time Champions League winning mentor also spoke about the pressures of time facing him, in addition to citing his move to England as a learning curve.

“I know I don’t have time, but I will try.

“If you do not win, they are going to fire you and another guy is going to take your place. That is going to happen, definitely.

“I decided to prove myself and for my family, to move on from our comfort zone. That is why I chose Manchester to prove myself and have a new challenge.

“If people think: ‘Pep’s here; City will win.’ No. That’s not something you can switch on or off. You need many, many other things to change and we are in the process of doing that.

“It’s crazy to think I will transform everything. I came to learn. I deserve to be happy as well, and I am so happy when I feel emotion about the way my team plays,” he concluded.

City find themselves 7 points adrift leaders Chelsea who have a game in hand albeit against fellow title challengers Tottenham Hotspur.

The Citizen’s next league fixture is an away trip to Everton at Goodison Park on January 15. — Sport24.