Leicester City suffered bitter disappointment on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League after nine years in the top flight.
However, they are on track to bounce back immediately as they sit 10 points clear of second-placed Ipswich after 26 games. Enzo Maresca's men have already collected 65 points thanks to 21 wins, two draws and just three defeats as they continue a breathtaking season in the second-tier.
However, the Foxes will have to make do without the services of fringe star Souttar in the coming weeks as he travels for the AFC Asian Cup with Australia.
Souttar has only played three games for the East Midlands outfit this season having fallen down the pecking order under new boss Maresca. His only league start came in October, in the 2-0 win over his former club Stoke. While City should be able to cope without him in theory, they won't have as much quality depth in his absence.
The tournament also acts as a roadblock to Souttar's departure. The 25-year-old almost joined Rangers in the summer window, and his lack of game-time had raised the possibility that he may try to leave again in January. However, it now seems likely that he will stay and fight for his spot.
Here, GOAL takes a look at the Leicester City matches Souttar could miss while Australia go for glory in Qatar.
How many games will Harry Souttar miss?
Souttar has already missed his first game for Leicester City due to Asian Cup duty as he wasn't available for the Foxes' 4-1 victory against Huddersfield on New Year's Day, with the Socceroos linking up early to prepare for a pre-tournament against Bahrain.
The length of Souttar's absence will depend entirely on how well Australia perform in the competition. The minimum number of Leicester games he will miss is four, while the maximum is eight.
Souttar will first be in action at the Asian Cup when Australia face India on Saturday, January 13. Australia are in Group B, alongside India, Syria, and Uzbekistan. The Socceroos' second game of the 2023 Asian Cup is scheduled for January 18 (vs Syria) and their final group stage match takes place on January 23 (vs Uzbekistan).
If Australia are knocked out in the group stages, then Souttar will miss a total of four Leicester games and will return for their potential fourth-round FA Cup tie if City get through, albeit that would see the Swansea league game postponed.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Huddersfield (H) | EFL Championship |
| January 6 | Millwall (A) | FA Cup third round |
| January 13 | Coventry (A) | EFL Championship |
| January 22 | Ipswich Town (H) | EFL Championship |
| January 27 | Swansea (H) or potential FA Cup fourth round tie | EFL Championship/ FA Cup |
| February 3 | Stoke City (A) | EFL Championship |
| February 10 | Watford (A) | EFL Championship |
| February 13 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | EFL Championship |
If Australia do go all the way, Souttar wouldn't return until after the final on February 10. If this were to be the case, he could miss up to eight games, including Championship encounters against the likes of Coventry, Ipswich, Swansea, Stoke, Watford, and Sheffield Wednesday as well, with that match against the Owls taking place just 48 hours after the tournament finale, meaning it will likely be too quick a turnaround to get Souttar back to the fold.