James Justin’s World Cup hopes took a significant dent despite a first goal for Leicester in three seasons.
The defender, who spent 11 months out recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in 2021, was taken off on a stretcher after sustaining another painful setback.
It is understood that Justin, who made his England debut in June, was in Gareth Southgate’s initial pool of 55 faces but, hours before the England manager names his final selection, the 24-year-old now seems all but certain to be staying at home.
Jamie Vardy plundered two second half goals as Brendan Rodgers’s side progressed with little alarm.
It looked like Newport, 18th in League Two and a first-half expected goals count measurable in nanometres, might profit from some wasteful Foxes finishing.
Adam Lewis, the on-loan Liverpool defender, intervened to stop Vardy setting Ayoze Perez up for a tap-in, Dennis Praet scuffed a sitter wide and Harvey Barnes saw an effort saved before goalkeeper Nick Townsend was finally beaten a minute before the break.
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Vardy celebrated a headed second from a cross from Marc Albrighton, Justin’s replacement following a clash on the hour mark with Adam Lewis that did not initially look serious enough to require a stretcher.
Vardy made sure of Leicester’s progress eight minutes from time by rounding Townsend and, picking his spot with leisure as defenders flooded back, smashing the ball high into the net for his third goal of the season.
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