'The right time' for Jamie Vardy? Cremonese boss addresses ex-Leicester striker's long wait for first Serie A start ahead of Udinese clash

Nicola has strongly hinted that Vardy is in line to make his long-awaited first start in Serie A, suggesting Monday evening's home fixture against Udinese is "the right time" for the veteran striker to be given his opportunity. The 38-year-old Leicester City legend has been used sparingly since his surprising free transfer to the newly-promoted Italian side, but his manager has praised his attitude and application.

Speaking ahead of the matchday seven clash, Nicola addressed the status of his marquee summer signing, who has so far been restricted to just 63 minutes of action from the bench in two substitute appearances. The Cremonese boss confirmed that a significant increase in playing time is imminent for the former England international, with a starting role firmly on the table.

"I think he will play between 50 and 90 minutes," Nicola revealed in his press conference. When pressed directly on whether Vardy would be in the starting XI, the coach was candid. "I could consider him from the start; perhaps it’s also the right time to give him this opportunity."

Despite his limited on-pitch involvement, Vardy has clearly made a positive impression on his new manager. Nicola lauded the striker’s decision to embark on a new chapter in Italy at the age of 38 and praised the professionalism he has shown since arriving at the Stadio Giovanni Zini.

"He’s undoubtedly shown a certain mentality by choosing Cremonese," Nicola stated. "It was just a matter of starting to work regularly with his teammates." The coach pointed to Vardy's cameo appearance away to Inter as evidence of the quality and fight he can provide. "In Milan, he showed great determination at various times," he added.

While Vardy's integration has been gradual, his team have made a surprisingly strong start to their campaign. Tipped by many as relegation candidates after their promotion, Cremonese have proven difficult to beat, losing just one of their opening six league matches. They started the campaign with a shock win against AC Milan at San Siro before a stoppage time penalty secured a 3-2 victory against Sassuolo the following week. Three draws - against Verona, Parma and Como - followed before Inter inflicted a first defeat of the season on Nicola's team. They currently sit 10th in the table with nine points.

A victory over Udinese on Monday could see them climb as high as eighth, and Nicola has called on all his players, including Vardy, to maintain the focus that has served them well so far. "From him, as from the others, I expect a desire to blindly believe in what he’s doing and the awareness of representing a team with a very clear objective in this division," the manager concluded.

All eyes will now be on the team sheet for Monday's match in Cremona. A starting berth would represent the first real opportunity for the star of Leicester's historic 2015-16 Premier League triumph to showcase his enduring predatory instincts to an Italian audience. After a career spent entirely in English football, the move to Serie A was a shock for many, but a successful full debut against Udinese, who sit 13th in the table with eight points from six matches, would go a long way to justifying the bold transfer and helping Cremonese continue to consolidate their place in the top flight.

Afterwards, they will have another home game against Atalanta on Saturday before visiting Genoa and then Juventus.