Claudio Ranieri was told he is safe from the sack on Tuesday as the Thai owners of struggling champions Leicester vowed their "unwavering support" to the under-fire manager.

Ranieri's side are just one point above the relegation zone after Sunday's 3-0 defeat against Manchester United and speculation had mounted that the Italian was on the brink of being dismissed. But amid reports Ranieri has lost his players' backing, Leicester's owners have tried to ease the crisis by making it clear they still believe in the man who led the Foxes to an against-the-odds Premier League title triumph last season.