By Nick Ware

22nd Jan, 2021 | 7:47pm

Good news for Everton as Leicester confirm Vardy injury blow ahead of Goodison clash

Everton have been handed encouraging news after Leicester City confirmed star striker Jamie Vardy will miss their Goodison Park clash on January 27.

The former England international has been in lethal form this season and sits alongside Blues forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin on 11 Premier League goals as they both bid to be crowned the division’s top scorer at the end of the campaign.

Vardy is Leicester’s main man and is crucial to their hopes this season so an injury to the 34-year-old will be a catastrophic blow but will be a boost for sides around them in the table.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed the length of Vardy’s absence to the club website ahead of next week’s game, saying: “Jamie Vardy will be out for a few weeks.”

He added: “We have a window now that allows him to have a minor operation on his hernia and then he’ll be back within a few weeks. He’ll be out for that period.”

The Foxes are currently riding high in third place in the Premier League table and are six points ahead of the Blues but they have played a game more so an Everton win on Wednesday would really draw them back in and give Carlo Ancelotti’s side the opportunity to draw level with them.

Relief for Mina and Keane

With Everton set to welcome Leicester to Goodison Park on Wednesday, it is certain that Vardy will be ruled out of this game.

The Blues kept him out in the reverse fixture as they recorded an impressive 2-0 victory at the King Power Stadium on December 16.

The previous meeting between these two sides at Goodison Park did feature a goal from Vardy’s likely replacement Kelechi Iheanacho as the Blues ran out 2-0 winners on July 1.

While this might act as an ominous sign the news that last season’s Premier League top scorer will be absent in Wednesday’s fixture cannot be considered lightly and Yerry Mina and Michael Keane are sure to be the two happiest performers.

The centre back duo have impressed this season with their no-nonsense displays at the heart of the Everton defence but one thing they do lack is pace, something Vardy has in abundance.

While Iheanacho is not slow he certainly does not have the lightning speed that Vardy possesses so the threat in behind the Everton backline will be negated somewhat.

This might allow Carlo Ancelotti to instruct his defence to push up a bit higher safe in the knowledge that Vardy will not be playing on the shoulder ready to pounce.

In other Everton news, see our view on what could be set to change for James Rodriguez.