December 27, (THEWILL) – Leicester City manager, Brendan Rodgers, has given an update on Wilfred Ndidi, which will be of grave concern to interim Nigeria coach Austin Eguavoen and Super Eagles supporters ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) next month in Cameroon.
The holding midfielder is one of five midfielders included in the Super Eagles roster for the continental competition which begins in exactly two weeks.
Ndidi was an unused substitute against Manchester City on Boxing Day, and the Foxes conceded six goals without the crucial midfielder in the lineup.
Rodgers said that the midfield enforcer was not risked against the Cityzens because he was suffering from a hamstring injury, and that he was likely not to play against Liverpool on Tuesday.
At the post-match press conference, Rodgers was asked how many players he will select against Liverpool among those who played City, the manager responded: “We have no choice but we’ll have to look again but, obviously, Wilfred Ndidi his hamstring is a bit tight.
“Jamie’s hamstring is tight from the other night so we couldn’t really risk those in the game.”
Player fitness is increasingly becoming worrisome for Eguavoen. Currently, Racing Genk’s Paul Onuachu is out of contention due to Injury and Oghenekaro Etebo is not available for selection for the same reason.
In fact, two other players in an ideal Nigeria starting lineup, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Rangers defender Leon Balogun, are still on the mend, expecting to be fit enough for competitive football before Nigeria faces Egypt in Group D of the continental football showpiece.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
