Patson Daka's Leicester City bow makes for Marti Cifuentes' most difficult dilemma yet

Patson Daka's first league start for Leicester City this season provided Marti Cifuentes with serious consideration in the 1-1 draw against Wrexham on Tuesday night

Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes handed Patson Daka his first league start of the season on Tuesday night against Wrexham and the consensus at the full-time whistle was that he was neither underwhelming nor inspiring.

Daka had come off the bench in all seven previous Championship games this season, with Cifuentes preferring Jordan Ayew from the start. After the dull 1-1 draw at West Brom on Friday night, Daka was given the nod alongside three other changes for the visit of Wrexham.

Unfortunately, there was no first goal of the season for Daka as the Foxes extended their winless streak to four games. Since the return of the international break, Leicester have been held by Oxford United, Coventry City, West Brom and now Wrexham.

However, Daka's performance had plenty of focus on it. After a difficult 18-month period for the Zambian, Tuesday night was a chance for him to stake his claim and get an opportunity in the team.

Daka's selection certainly offered something different to what City had in the first seven games of the season with Jordan Ayew. His tenacity and work rate caused the Wrexham defence, which lacked considerable pace, problems.

Inside 30 minutes of his first start, Daka had managed three shots. None were real opportunities, but there were two crosses which evaded him ever so slightly. A sharp, confident Daka may have got on the end of one of them.

The striker was involved in several physical altercations with Wrexham's defence, with ex-City centre-back Lewis Brunt and Dominic Hyam both leaving one on him. He was unlucky not to win a free-kick for one after turning Brunt for pace down the right channel.

READ MORE: Leicester City 1-1 Wrexham highlights and reaction from Cifuentes after victory thrown away

OPINION

Daka's overall play improved as the first half went on, and in the 36th minute, he turned provider. He dropped in front of the Wrexham defence to receive the ball from Jordan James before returning it inside. The midfielder finished the move off.

City controlled the game for the most part and created chances in the first half. After the break, they continued to dictate the tempo of the game and pin Wrexham back.

Shortly after the hour mark, there was a switch in play and the visitors enjoyed more success through the middle. And in the 77th minute, a lapse in concentration resulted in Nathan Broadhead capitalising on a Jannik Vestergaard mistake to level.

That was the end of Daka's evening with Cifuentes, turning to Julian Carranza and Jordan Ayew.

Whether Daka did enough to start at Swansea on Saturday will be decided by Cifuentes later in the week. The City boss praised his "energy" after the game and his work-rate did receive cheers from the King Power Stadium faithful.

But in Wales, does Cifuentes return to normality and bring Ayew in? Or will Carranza get a chance from the start? The fact that City are heading into the October international break with no clear and obvious first-choice striker is, in fact, a problem in itself.

Ayew brings the experience and ball-playing ability that Daka is unable to provide. But the former Crystal Palace star lacks the pace or 'striker's instinct' that is needed for Leicester to be at the top.

Carranza is yet to fully adapt to English football and a first start this weekend seems the most unlikely solution.

Click here to read article