Despite being named in Jose Peseiro's final Nigeria squad, Kelechi Iheanacho's participation at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is seriously in doubt.
The former Man City player was left out of Leicester City's matchday squad on Friday, as the Foxes claimed three valuable points in Cardiff. It is understood that Iheanacho is sidelined with a muscle injury, and considering the 2023 AFCON is just around the corner, Iheanacho's participation is questionable.
Leicester City's manager Enzo Maresca pointed out that the Super Eagles star is still being assessed, and he may not be able to travel with his country if it turns out to be a serious injury.
“We are still waiting to see if it’s something important or a matter of days. But I don’t think he will be able for the next one (Leicester's next match against Huddersfield).
“We don’t know yet (if Iheanacho will miss the AFCON). It depends on the injury. If it’s an important injury, he has no chance to go. If it’s not important, he can go.”
Kelechi Iheanacho and Leicester City flying high
Leicester City have been flying high in the Championship; as they are currently eight points clear at the top of the league table. At the time of writing, Maresca's troops are on a nine-match unbeaten run, with seven wins and two draws.
However, the Foxes will have to do without Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi for a while, as both players were named in Peseiro's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. It'll be interesting to see if the absence of these players will affect Leicester City's performance in the Championship.
Interestingly, Iheanacho and Ndidi were directly involved in a combined 13 of Leicester's 50 league goals so far. Ndidi has two goals and five assists, while Iheanacho scored five times this season, with one assist.
