Claudio Ranieri: Champions League teams will hope to draw Leicester City
ByPA Sport
Updated 25/08/2016 at 17:56 GMT
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has said his team will be viewed as an easy target in the Champions League as the Foxes are prepare for their maiden campaign among Europe's elite having won a shock Premier League title last season.
Claudio Ranieri
Image credit: AFP
Leicester are one of the top seeds having won the league by 10 points in May and Ranieri believes they will be massive underdogs in Europe this year.
He said: "All the other teams are hoping to choose Leicester, it's normal. We fight. When you see the first group there are a lot of big teams and then 'who is that? Leicester?'. It's okay. Between us and the others they choose Leicester.
"The approach depends on many things. You have to play before these matches and how you approach depends on opponents, many things."
The draw for the Champions League took place in Monaco on Thursday evening with the Foxes potentially facing Ranieri's former clubs of Atletico Madrid, Napoli or Monaco. However, their reward for winning the Premier League is a favourable draw alongside Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen in Group G.
Meanwhile, new signing Nampalys Mendy is out of Saturday's game against Swansea at the King Power Stadium after suffering an ankle injury in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
Leicester are hunting their first win after picking up only one point in their opening two Premier League games and Ranieri remains focused on his survival target.
"I am very focused to achieve 40 points, this is our target. It's the same target of last season, we don't change our minds and it's important to be focused on our job," he added.
"It's not so stressful. It's good to get points - we're at home, we want to win. It will be a different game from last season."
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