he suffered a hamstring injury the following season and was hampered by a ruptured Achilles tendon last season, missing another 28 games. Pereira missed 72 games due to multiple injuries.So, obvious tactical switch by Maresca aside, why is Pereira avoiding the replay due to injury?The biggest factor in the growth of his fortunes due to injuries is the change in individual playing style. Statistics are objective and one of the biggest changes was his reception. Pereira attempted 110 matches in the 18/19 season and a further 101 in the 19/20 season.He has only 30 tries this season. Of course, there is still a lot of football to be played and that number could rise, but it is important to remember that Pereira has already played more games this campaign than all but one of his own. previous five to Leicester.He was only hit nine times in his 30 climbs. Compared to 42 (18/19) and 41 (19/20), the head is not so vulnerable to injury. The Portuguese also completed 1,089 moves (driving the ball with his feet) this season, a total of 4,039 yards and only 2,152 yards against opponents and #039; He carried the ball for a total of 7,058 yards on 18/29 and 6,824 yards on 19/20..
Going forward, Pereira’s contribution softened. The City captain has completed 36 forward moves (moves that take the ball towards the opponent’s goal or into the penalty area) this season, a huge decrease from 114 in 18/19 and 116 in 19/20.He also received far fewer (44) progressive passes than before (passed to the opponent or in the penalty area). Ricardo and #039’s reliance on getting the ball forward and into dangerous areas has been minimized, and once those stats are down, his assist numbers are impressive.Pereira has already completed more passes this season (2047 out of 1856 -90.7%) than in any of his previous five seasons at the club, his second best in 19/20 is 75.7%. His crossing opportunities are limited, as only two crosses were made into the penalty area. In the 18/19 season, he made 104 crosses into the box.Under Maresca,
Pereira will be responsible for linking Leicester’s defensive line and midfield with the ability to play through the lines with either Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall or one of the wing forwards. Sometimes Winks will drop deep and Pereira will be right in front of him, behind the opposition’s first line of pressure, to receive the ball and move forward. Just like we saw his goal against Watford.Position is made in the Italian and#039; system. When it comes to crunching the numbers, Pereira is much more thoughtful in his decisions. His 105 touches in the defensive penalty area and 1356 touches in the middle third of the pitch are the most that he registered in those areas of the pitch in a season..
