Claudio Ranieri is considering leaving out both Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy for the first time in his Leicester tenure in a bid to reignite the Premier League champions' form at Sunderland.
Returning to the scene of his emotional outpouring during last season's title charge, Ranieri revealed he could envisage starting without either of the club's stars after a four-game winless streak.
Mahrez has struggled to find the dazzling form that catapulted him to the PFA Player of the Year award, scoring three penalties and providing one assist in 13 Premier League games.
Vardy, the FWA Footballer of the Year, is on a run of 15 league matches without scoring and despite his typically high workrate is failing to find many chances.