Leicester City are planning an assault on the Premier League top six and have just seven games to get themselves ready.

The first is tonight (Tuesday) as their pre-season fixture schedule begins at Scunthorpe.

They then take on Cheltenham, Cambridge, Stoke, Rotherham, Atalanta and Nice in a bid to prepare for the new campaign, which begins at home to Wolves on Sunday, August 11.

From now until the big kick-off, City will use the summer friendlies to answer some key questions.

Is Maguire’s replacement in the squad? If so, who is it?

While Harry Maguire’s exit is not assured – Manchester United or Manchester City will have to meet his valuation first – his keenness for a summer switch makes his departure much more likely.

So City need to be prepared. Brendan Rodgers will have to decide if the other centre-backs in his squad can step up to fill Maguire’s place alongside Jonny Evans or if City must delve into the transfer market.

Evans is guaranteed a starting spot given his form at the end of last season, so Rodgers should give Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu pitch-time alongside the Northern Irishman over the next seven games to determine if they are good enough for a top-six push.

Is 4-1-4-1 the best formation?

Rodgers utilised two formations in his opening 10 games as City boss.

He started with a 3-4-2-1 system but saw his new side defeated 2-1 at Watford in his opening game.

From there he reverted to the 4-1-4-1 formation that Claude Puel briefly utilised following the arrival of Youri Tielemans and it worked well, City finishing the campaign with five wins, two draw and just two defeats.

It is expected that Rodgers will stick to that system but pre-season fixtures provide him with an opportunity to experiment and tinker.

One area within the formation he will have to look at is the holding midfielder.

With Wilfred Ndidi likely to miss the whole of pre-season with Africa Cup of Nations commitments, Rodgers will have to determine if either Hamza Choudhury or Papy Mendy can do the role alone, as Ndidi does, or if another midfielder needs to drop in alongside them.

Where should Perez be utilised?

Ayoze Perez, the £30 million recruit from Newcastle, has been signed by City as a utility forward.

While his versatility will see him played in a number of positions, Rodgers will use the pre-season games to determine how to get the most out of the Spaniard.

Ayoze Perez in training during Leicester City's trip to Evian, France
Ayoze Perez in training during Leicester City's trip to Evian, France

His high work-rate – Perez ranked as one of the best attacking players for tackles and interceptions last season – and his ability to ghost into the box and notch a few goals are his top attributes, but are those most effective out wide or as a support striker?

Do any of the fringe players have a future?

This summer, Rodgers will get to look at several City players he is yet to work with.

Adrien Silva, Fousseni Diabate, Andy King and Islam Slimani were all on loan when Rodgers arrived at the club and he will have to decide if any have a future at the King Power Stadium.

Then there is Matty James and Daniel Amartey, who are yet to feature under the new boss because of injuries last term. City have signed a new central midfielder and a new right-back, lessening the duo’s chances of regular football, but they finally have a chance to stake a claim.

Beyond the loan and injury returnees, Rodgers will have to make a decision on Rachid Ghezzal. The Algerian played just 19 minutes of football after the change in manager and he appears to be out of the picture. But a decent pre-season may change Rodgers' mind.

Should any of the young players be promoted?

There is little more exciting than a homegrown academy player bursting onto the scene and pre-season matches are the perfect opportunity for City’s youngsters to stake a claim for a place in Rodgers’ first-team squad.

With rotation expected across the seven games, several promising young players will get game-time alongside their more senior colleagues.

Can any of the development squad starlets prove they can make the step up? Utility defender Josh Knight, who impressed on loan at Peterborough last season, is the likeliest to make the jump.