Bassett stays in charge for now

The Leicester caretaker manager, Dave Bassett, expects to be in charge for his side's home game against Stoke at the weekend.

Having taken over from Micky Adams, who resigned last week, Bassett has had to settle for two points from two matches. Chris Makin's own-goal earned Coventry a 1-1 draw at the weekend and Matt Heath headed past Kevin Pressman - into his own net - in the last minute as the Foxes drew 2-2 with high-flying Ipswich on Tuesday night.

Bassett has not hidden his interest in the permanent position, having served as director of football at the Walkers Stadium for the last three years, following a brief spell in charge during the 2001-2002 season.

John Gregory and Stuart Pearce have also applied and the Leicester chairman, Jim McCahill, has revealed that the club have received several other applications, but are not planning to replace Adams by a specific deadline.

Bassett said: "We've got Stoke coming up and I'm looking forward to that game. I will be in charge. The board are bringing together a list of people and then they've got to decide what they want from the manager."

Bassett will assist the board once a list has been completed and added: "I'm there to advise them. They can ask me what I know about that manager, his abilities, his strengths, what I know."

Ian Westlake gave Ipswich the lead inside the first minute at the Walkers Stadium on Tuesday night before City fought back with goals from David Connolly and Heath either side of half-time, only for the Foxes defender to undo his good work as he tried to clear Kevin Horlock's corner to safety.

The Ipswich forward Shefki Kuqi had a goal ruled out moments before the equaliser, referee Tony Leake ruling that Westlake had kicked the ball out of Pressman's hands.

Trevor Benjamin, a late substitute for fellow striker Dion Dublin, is adamant that confidence levels remain high in the Leicester camp despite their stuttering start to the season and insists the managerial situation is not unsettling for the players. "We've got to be positive and we've just got to get on with it really," Benjamin said. "That's what we're doing. The lads are all confident and I still think we've got a good chance of going up."