Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers admits he needs to withdraw Jamie Vardy from the frontline.

The intensity of the Christmas and new year fixtures, plus the short winter break, has left Rodgers feeling he has no option but to rotate his squad over the festive period.

Asked whether Vardy could play all four games, Rodgers said: "No chance. The game is about money now. You can't say it's about the welfare of players.

"We're playing at 8pm on the 26th then on the 28th we are playing at 5.30pm. We'll have a busy January — which is brilliant, that's what you want. You want to succeed and play lots of games — but the players aren't robots. It's not a computer game.

"In terms of recovery, it is the second day after a game that is really tough for a player. We're kicking off at 5.30pm at West Ham. It's just nonsense, really."