After a muscular injury ruled him out for almost three months, and also cost him a place in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations party to Cote d’Ivoire, midfield enforcer, Wilfred Ndidi has now returned to the delight of Lecester City faithful that has seen their top spot in the English Championship threatened after three losses. The 27-year-old could not have hoped for a better return as Leicester City ended a three-match losing run to beat Sunderland in their last match
Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has just recovered from a serious muscle injury after missing Leicester City’s last 10 league games with his last appearance being in their 2-0 victory over Cardiff, back in December.
The Nigeria international has been a vital player for Leicester City this campaign, playing a significant role in the middle of the park as they seek to return to the Premier League.
His return couldn’t have come at a better time for the East Midlands side as they had been on a free fall in recent weeks, losing their last three Championship games which has reduced the gap between them and second-placed Ipswich Town to three points.
The 27-year-old marked his return with a victory and Leicester City boss, Enzo Maresca, could not hide his delight upon seeing his star midfielder back in action after a long hiatus.
“I’m very happy. We need him, Wilf is so important to us so it’s good to have him back.” he told Leicester City’s website
Maresca expressed his delight with the return of Ndidi from injury, as the Super Eagles midfielder came on as a substitute during his side’s victory over Sunderland on Tuesday night.
Under the Italian tactician, Ndidi has suddenly improved offensively as he has been asked to play a more attacking role, and that explains him having 10 goal involvements across all competitions at this time of the season.
Ndidi received a rousing welcome from the Leicester City travelling fans.
Maresca had earlier expressed his eagerness to have Ndidi back from injury as the midfielder nears a return to action
Ndidi was initially expected to miss around three months, keeping him out until April, but was back earlier than anticipated.
“Wilf is still out and that is all. He has already started to do some sessions with us, but part of the session, not all.
“Hopefully, next week he can complete the session with us, which means he starts to be available. We can have Wilf back because, as you know, he is an important player for us,” Maresca had earlier told the club website.
The Italian coach underlined just how much Leicester have missed the influential 27-year-old during his lengthy lay-off.
“That’s why I said if he can be back earlier than three months, it is much better for us. He is an important player,” Maresca added.
“Now we are trying to find solutions to adapt players but hopefully we can have him back very soon.”
Ndidi’s return was a major boost for Leicester as they look to seal an automatic return to the Premier League following relegation last season.
The tough-tackling midfielder, who had contributed to seven goals before his layoff, was also a big miss for Nigeria as they reached the Africa Cup of Nations final without him in January.
But his imminent comeback is a timely one for club and country as the season enters its decisive final couple of months.
The Foxes are now three points clear at the top of the English Championship standings with 81 points from 36 matches.
Meanwhile, Maresca has said discussion over the future Ndidi and other players whose contracts are due to expire this summer will be put on hold until the Foxes confirmed their immediate return to the Premier League.
The Nigeria international’s contracts run out this summer and talks of a renewal are yet to begin.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are said to be ready to cash-in on Nifidi’s contract situation at Leicester.
Following Sergio Busquets’ decision to leave at the end of last season, Barcelona were forced to enter the market in search of a new defensive midfielder. Due to their ongoing financial problems, they couldn’t spend big, which led them to sign Oriol Romeu from Girona in a low-cost operation but it has not been an easy start to life back at Camp Nou for Romeu.
Given that Barcelona are still struggling financially, they are likely to find themselves in the same position of not being able to spend big. The free agent market could be their best friend once again, and have been linked with Ndidi.
Ndidi is out of contract at the end of the season, and it doesn’t appear that he will renew, even though it looks like Leicester will be returning back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, having been relegated from the division last season. This could open the door for Barcelona to make a move, although Fichajes say that Juventus and Sevilla are also interested.
Ndidi was once considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, although injury problems meant that he has struggled for form in the last couple of years. He has impressed in the EFL Championship, although that level is far away from the likes of La Liga and Serie A.
Still, especially at no cost, Ndidi could be a good addition to the Barcelona squad. He has shown this season that he is very good with the ball at his feet, and he is naturally a very strong tackler and is good at reading the play, which would be required if he were to make the move to Catalonia.
There’s no doubt that there are better options out there for Barcelona, but their financial woes mean that 99 per cent of targets will be unattainable next summer. This could mean that Ndidi is the best option, and if that is the case, he could be a good addition to the squad.
