Van Nistelrooy, who has only been at the club for seven weeks, remains relaxed and confident in his squad's ambition to survive and they are only two points away from the safety line.

A sixth successive league defeat for Leicester City was a major blow to the club, said manager Ruud van Nistelrooy after a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace on Wednesday kept them floundering near the foot of the Premier League.

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy believes his side can still escape relegation to the Championship – providing they can turn good performances into points. The Foxes played well in the first half against Crystal Palace last night but the Londoners improved after the break and, ultimately, cruised to a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium.

Van Nistelrooy said of Coulibaly: "He's a strong, powerful player and very good in one-v-one situations defensively. He's good on the ball and he has a physical profile that suits the Premier League. He's also at an age where he's in the prime of his career, so we have high hopes for him to do well for us."

Leicester City have lost each of their last six Premier League games in succession, their longest run in the competition since September 2022

And Palace again punished Leicester’s wastefulness as Guehi wrapped up the points in the 78th minute. Eberechi Eze’s dinked free-kick dropped for the England defender, who lashed high into the net for his third goal of the season.

Latest Leicester City news as Ruud van Nistelrooy's coaching staff takes shape with new member playing big part

A sixth successive league defeat for Leicester City was a major blow to the club, said manager Ruud van Nistelrooy after a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace on Wednesday kept them floundering near the foot of the Premier League.