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Leicester City are set for a summer clear-out with manager Brendan Rodgers hoping to work with a “tight squad” for the upcoming campaign.

The City boss is keen to whittle down his numbers to improve the quality and focus in the group and it is the midfield that could be most affected by the cuts.

City can list a maximum of 25 names in their Premier League squad but the club currently has 37 players who would have to be registered. Nine of those are central midfielders.

While Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury are safe, the futures of Matty James, Andy King, Adrien Silva, Daniel Amartey and Papy Mendy are in doubt, particularly with Rodgers still hoping to sign another attacking midfielder.

Mendy is attracting interest from France and there is talk of a potential move to Saint-Etienne.

“There’s no doubt that the squad will be trimmed,” Rodgers said after City’s 3-0 win over Cambridge, in which Mendy started.

“The duty is to prepare the players that are on the books at this period of the season. Within the next week or so, that will be trimmed down in relation to the numbers that you work with for quality and for focus.

“I always have more midfield players anyway because of how I work. I always overload the middle of the pitch with players.

“Our idea is to have a really tight squad. There’s probably one or two too many at the moment but that will be addressed.

“(Mendy) has worked very hard, been comfortable in the games, but I’ve got a number of players in there.

“I’ve got Ndidi when he comes back (from the Africa Cup of Nations) who’s a big talent, I’ve got Hamza who can play in there as well. (Mendy) has done well but lots of the players have done well.”

With no European football to offer, Rodgers knows he cannot guarantee game-time to a large squad and has been open with the players who may struggle to feature.

“I like to have a good group that will play regularly,” he said. “If you have players that are too far away from the first team then it’s really difficult for them.

“And to be fair we don’t have European football, so it’s difficult to get players the games.

“It’s the hardest job as a manager, especially given how we ask them to train and work and then you can’t give them game-time.

“All you can be is open and honest with players and let them know if they’re going to play and feature or not.”

While Rodgers acknowledges he needs to trim his squad, he is pleased that players are maintaining a high standard, which he believes will bring about improvement within the group.

“The one thing I’m really liking at the moment is that it’s really competitive,” Rodgers said.

“We’ve got a really competitive squad. If you’re going to succeed and improve where we finished last season, we’re going to need that because that makes everyone better every day in training and pushes everyone.

“If you’ve got a few too many, you need to adapt.”

The 37 City players who would have to be registered*

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Ward, Eldin Jakupovic

Full-backs: Ricardo Pereira, Ben Chilwell, Christian Fuchs, Callum Elder

Centre-backs: Wes Morgan, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Filip Benkovic, Sam Hughes, Josh Knight, Elliott Moore

Central midfielders: James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury, Papy Mendy, Matty James, Andy King, Adrien Silva, Daniel Amartey

Wingers: Demarai Gray, Marc Albrighton, Harvey Barnes, Rachid Ghezzal, Fousseni Diabate, George Thomas, Bartosz Kapustka

Strikers: Jamie Vardy, Ayoze Perez, Kelechi Iheanacho, Islam Slimani, Raul Uche, Ryan Loft

*New signing James Justin, born in 1998, would not have to be registered in City's 25-man squad