Leicester City: Foxes keeping Claudio Ranieri a huge risk, says Chris Sutton

Leicester have won just five Premier League games this season

Leicester City are taking a "huge risk" keeping Claudio Ranieri as manager, says former Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton.

The reigning Premier League champions are in real danger of relegation as they sit just one place and one point above the bottom three after a run of five successive defeats.

The Foxes issued a statement last week backing their Italian manager.

"I don't see how Ranieri can keep his job," Sutton told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Had they finished 12th last season and they were on this run of form everyone would be saying he has to go. Football is a ruthless business. The players are not playing for him.

"I think they are in absolutely enormous trouble."

If Leicester go down, they would be the first defending top-flight champions to be relegated since Manchester City in 1938.

They have not won a Premier League game in 2017 or scored a league goal.

Listen to Sutton on Leicester, Manchester City and Liverpool on the BBC Radio 5 live podcast