Leicester City have options in their defensive line and Russell Martin knows it

Russell Martin's switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation has given Leicester City more options in defence. But 11 games into the season, it is still unclear which trio makes up his strongest back three.

Leicester started the season with a back four and looked vulnerable when forced to defend. Martin switched to a back three after his side conceded three goals against Peterborough United, and the change has helped tighten things up.

Warren O'Hora, Harry Souttar and Caleb Okoli have started the last three games, impressing during the 4-0 win over Bromley. However, the weaknesses in Leicester's backline were exposed at Luton Town, where Okoli's struggles in possession contributed to the hosts' opening goal.

Make sure you never miss the latest Leicester City news and opinion by making Leicestershire Live one of your Google preferred sources

Luke Thomas replaced him at left centre-back and looked measured in his play, better than he did at left wing-back. Ilari Kangasniemi was an unused substitute on the bench while Bade Aluko was utilised by the Under-21s against Arsenal. But how can Leicester make their defence as secure as possible while still playing out from the back effectively?

Explaining how he sees it, Martin told "I do think them four [Kangasniemi, O'Hora, Souttar and Okoli], then Luke and Bade being able to play either side in the back three for sure [different ideas], because they've both done it.

"It's probably Bade's best position, I would argue, so absolutely no problem with that. Also, we might change shape again at some point. We have to be really flexible and adaptable in the way we do things.

"I love the guys. They've adapted really, really well. And we're going to have to keep being adaptable and keep being flexible. We've defended as a team, it's not just down to them three. Alex [McCarthy] has been fantastic.

"The guys have looked hungry, help each other out. We have to maintain that."

Okoli struggled at Luton. Defensively, he helped Thomas deal with Tudor Mendel down Leicester's left, but he looked uncomfortable in possession. Several of his forward passes went out of play, and he was dispossessed when Luton triggered their press.

O'Hora has been the natural choice on the right of the back three, with the 27-year-old providing cover for Will Alves. Having the Irishman behind him helped the 21-year-old settle into his early games at wing-back, although questions remain over whether O'Hora is the strongest option in that position.

Souttar's role in the middle of the back three has worked well, and the Australian looks the most secure of the defensive options. He ranks among the league's leaders for accurate passes per 90 and has won the majority of his aerial duels.

"I think the transfer window closing has been the best thing for Caleb and Harry Souttar, for sure," Martin added. "Then Warren's come in and he was great the other night [against Bromley], so he has to keep doing that because he's coming into a new environment again.

"He may have played for me, but it was a long time ago. I think we'll start seeing the best of them now and they've set a standard for themselves, and they have to maintain it. If I was those guys, I'd be desperate to keep performing well, because we have some really good centre-halves.

"If you keep performing well and defending well, it will keep you in the team. We have really good competition and they have to stay hungry and keep growing. I've really enjoyed watching them, and not just defensively defending the box and that, but in the way they've approached things mentality-wise, and the way they've talked to each other and helped each other."

One player still waiting for his opportunity is Kangasniemi. The summer signing from Inter Turku is yet to start for Leicester, with his only appearances coming as a substitute against Stockport and Peterborough.

The switch to a back three could give him a better opportunity to earn a starting place and establish himself in the side. The 19-year-old played on the left of Turku's centre-back pairing during the summer, but can also play on the right.

"I watched all of his stuff [with Finland Under-21s, where he got an assist against Spain]," Martin told after the international break. "They had a tough game against Kosovo away, but he's a really outstanding young talent.

"This break would have actually been perfect for him to be here and play some games and we could have seen him, because we haven't had him on the pitch for very long yet. We haven't had the chance to put him into a game. And the team's not been in a place where we can just throw someone [in], we're trying to find some consistency in the selection.

"He's a top young talent and we have quite a few of them actually. So he's another one that's really exciting. He maybe has to wait his turn a little bit and be patient, then when he gets in the team, I have no doubt he will be more than ready and prove himself to be a really, top young player."

"I thought he did well because it's difficult to come on at that scoreline," Martin added when asked about Kangasniemi's cameo against Peterborough. "It's difficult to come on at that scoreline and he he had to defend a lot of space with not many players around him because we had to try and throw caution to the wind and go and commit another body forward to get back in the game.

"I thought he had some really good moments, some moments that were difficult where he had to defend last ditch and be the last man, but overall, he did really well. Like I said, it takes character to come into the team in that situation, so we've got no doubt about Ilari and how good he's going to be long term.

"Now, he has to stay ready and be ready to perform."

Aluko is a less obvious option among Martin's centre-backs. The 19-year-old has predominantly played at right-back, but can also operate in a central defensive pairing or on the right of a back three.

There will be games where City can turn to Aluko, to offer pace, agility and energy to their defensive line.