Vardy tipped to start for the first time in Serie A against Udinese

Italian sources report that Jamie Vardy is expected to start his first Serie A game on Monday, when his Cremonese side host Udinese.

English striker Vardy could start for the first time in Serie A next Monday.

On that day, Cremonese will host Udinese at the Stadio Zini with kick-off time at 20:45 CET (19:45 BST).

Italian sources, including Gazzetta and Sport Mediaset, claim that Grigiorossi coach Davide Nicola is seriously considering handing a start to the Leicester City legend, who has made two substitute appearances so far.

Cremonese have collected nine points in the opening six games of the season, but only managed two goals in the last four games, drawing 0-0 against direct rivals Verona and Parma, 1-1 against Como and losing 4-1 against Inter.

Vardy joined Cremonese on a free transfer on deadline day, after the end of his contract with Leicester City.

The 38-year-old striker scored 145 goals in 342 Premier League appearances before signing with the Grigiorossi.

Cremonese director Simone Giacchetta recently spoke about Vardy’s move to the Stadio Zini: “The idea was to find players who would help us secure survival. The striker plays a crucial role as you need to get somebody who can score consistently,” he said.

“The market offers millions of options, but Vardy fascinated us all, for his ability, for what he did in the Premier League and for his history, given that he was a factory worker at 25.

“The first contacts were positive, and we found great humility and knowledge of Cremonese. He knew exactly who we are and the type of season we expected.”