Brendan Rodgers informed that midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and experienced centre-forward Jamie Vardy will both miss Saturday’s game at Old Trafford.
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Manchester United will be gunning for three points when they face Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday night. Ralf Rangnick’s side are currently on 50 points from 29 Premier League games and are four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Manchester United are also one point behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Hence, they need to get all three points against the Foxes on Saturday to stay in the top four race. Hence, the latest injury blows to Leicester will be a welcome sign for the Red Devils.
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers informed that star holding midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and experienced centre-forward Jamie Vardy will both miss Saturday’s game at Old Trafford. Infact, Ndidi will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury that forced him to have surgery. The return date for Vardy is not clear yet, but he is most certainly ruled out of Saturday’s encounter.
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In his pre-match press conference, Rodgers, as per his club’s website, said, “Wilfred Ndidi unfortunately will be out for the season, it’s a shame for us but he’ll get ready for next season. It’s unfortunate. He’s been a brilliant player for me in my time here. He picked up a nasty injury that he’s had to have surgery on and he’ll recover now until June.”
“On the other side, Papy Mendy has come in and done great, and been very unfortunate. We thought he was leaving in the summer, he wasn’t in the squad, and didn’t hardly play virtually for the first half of the season, apart from international games. He’s done great for Senegal, he’s come back, but he’s always been a brilliant professional, so we gain a player in him and he’s done very, very well since he’s come back into the squad.”
The absence of Ndidi will be a big blow for Leicester. He has been a key player in helping his team get out of several tricky situations. In a big match like the one they are going to have at Old Trafford, his presence could have been an added bonus, but the Foxes now have to deal with this absence. They do have cover in the form of Youri Tielemans, Boubakary Soumare and Nampalys Mendy.
However, Ndidi will be a major miss. He has established himself has one of the best holding midfielders in the division. Opponent players have struggled to get past him and often come second best in 50-50 duels. Hence, the latest news could play into Manchester United’s hands on Saturday if they move the ball effectively in the final third.
The Foxes will also miss their star centre-forward Jamie Vardy due to a knee problem. The English international has been an ever-present for Leicester and has been deadly in counter-attacks. His pace and timing to get behind a defensive third have always been a major plus for the Foxes.
With United’s defence frequently leaking goals this season, he would have come in handy for the visitors. However, Rogers have to make do without the English forward for Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford. “We’ll see [about Vardy], day by day really. He’s not ready for weekend, but we’ll assess it over the next week to two weeks,” Rodgers said in his press conference.
Manchester United might have the luck on their side thanks to the crucial injuries Leicester players have suffered ahead of the match. However, football has proved to be a funny game in the past, meaning anything can still happen. But United will definitely be the favourites on Saturday after the latest injury news was announced by the visiting team’s manager Rodgers. Now it’s up to Rangnick’s side to make the most of it.
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