"I haven’t looked at the league table once", says Newcastle manager Eddie Howe

has not lost in their last 12 games and is in third place with 30 points after 15 matches. They are seven points behind leaders

with one more game.

In the first game after the World Cup break, Newcastle will face

at Leicester's King Power Stadium on Monday.

He said:

“I haven’t actually looked at the league table once, genuinely I haven’t.

“That’s not to say that I’m not aware of where we are, but for me the focus is always on the next training session to make sure we give the players the best chance to play well in the next game and let everything else fall into place.”

He said:

“I tend not to reflect too much, to be honest, because it’s maybe something you do at the end of the season when you’re bringing your ideas together for what the next season will look like.

“It has gone, no denying it, amazingly well and we’ve enjoyed what we’ve done to this point, but it feels like we’re only halfway through.”

Newcastle and Leicester also face each other in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup next month. Ahead of the Monday's game, Howe praised Leicester and Brendan Rodgers.

Howe said:

“They’re a top team with a top manager and that never changed, in my opinion, even though they had a difficult start to their season.

“The quality of Brendan’s [Rodgers] work always shines through in his teams and if you look at their players, not a dramatic amount has changed from the team that excelled in previous years, so we respect them immensely.”

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers also said James Maddison will stay at Leicester at least until the end of the season.

Rodgers said:

“Yes, absolutely, the key focus at the moment is getting him fit. Getting him out on to the field again. He’s someone I want to keep here.

“He’s a top player. But I’ve been given no indication that we have to do anything with James in January. My focus is on improving the squad - that’s what I want to do.”

Rodgers expects Newcastle to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.

He said:

“They have signed players who have improved the dynamic of the team. They’re trying to build something there, they’ll improve and get better.

"I’m sure they’ll strengthen their squad, and they’ll have the motivation to stay there.

“When you have good players, they’ll always be coveted by other teams - it’s a good sign. That’s okay, I’m confident those players will be here.”

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