Jamie Vardy is expected to be briefly absent from Leicester

JAKARTA - Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is likely to return to grazing sooner than expected after undergoing minor hernia surgery. This good news was conveyed by Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers on Sunday (24/1).

"It's probably a week to 10 days before he returns to the pitch and then a few extra days before he can play," Rodgers told reporters after their 3-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup.

Rodgers said earlier in the week that Vardy would miss several weeks while the 34-year-old underwent surgery. It's a big loss because Vardy is their top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions this season,

"He's not going to lose too much fitness, it's just a small operation. We can survive without him at the moment and then he'll be back fit and excited for the rest of the season," said Rodgers.

Leicester will face Everton, Leeds United, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league in the coming weeks before hosting reigning champions Liverpool on February 13.

Liverpool also have a fixture with Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fifth round on 10 February.