Saturday 4 February 2017 12:24, UK
Chris Smalling insists Manchester United will not take Leicester lightly on Sunday despite their lowly position in the Premier League table.
The two sides meet at the King Power Stadium, live on Sky Sports, with last season's champions going into the weekend's fixtures just two points above the relegation zone.
However, Smalling insists United are well aware of the qualities Claudio Ranieri's side possess and will not allow complacency to set in.
United won 4-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the season but Smalling said: "I am surprised where they are right now and I think a lot of people are.
"Whether they were going to be challenging for the title again or not, I'd expect them to be higher than they are.
"But I don't think we can forget their qualities which made them the champions.
"So I think we need to be more wary of their potential threats and what they did last year rather than the situation they find themselves in now."
Aside from N'Golo Kante, Leicester have retained the core of last season's triumphant team, yet the same players have been unable to scale the heights they managed last term.
Jamie Vardy's goals have dried up but Smalling said of his England team-mate: "Whether or not he's on a roll of scoring, I think he's someone who will always give his all for the team.
"And no matter their situation or how many goals he's scored, he won't let it rest.
"You know that when you've got the ball, you'll have a few seconds less than you would in the majority of games."
