Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca has expressed his delight at Wilfred Ndidi’s return following the midfielder’s long injury layoff.
Ndidi suffered an injury during the Foxes’ 2-0 victory against Cardiff City in December and was ruled out of action for two months.
He was initially named in Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in Ivory Coast but had to withdraw from the tournament after his injury was diagnosed as more serious than first thought.
The 27-year-old, however, made his much-awaited return from injury during Leicester City’s 1-0 victory against Sunderland in the English Championship on Tuesday, February 5, 2024.
Maresca happy to have Ndidi back from injury
Ndidi came on as a second-half substitute when he replaced Yunus Akgun in the 72nd minute and played the final 18 minutes of the game.
Despite his limited time on the pitch, the Nigerian midfielder was decent in the middle of the park, winning one tackle and one duel as Jamie Vardy’s goal separated the two teams.
Speaking in the aftermath of the game, Leicester boss Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the result and said he was happy to see Ndidi return.
He also described the midfielder as an important player for the team, adding that he was happy to be able to select him for matches once again.
“The first half, especially the first half an hour, was unbelievable. We had many chances, we missed and we have struggled to score goals in these games. But at the end, it was important to win the game.”
“I’m very happy. We need him, Wilf is so important to us so it’s good to have him back,” Maresca told Lcfc.com.
Wilfred Ndidi and Leicester City on course to gain Premier League promotion
Meanwhile, Leicester City are on course to return to the Premier League after opening up a three-point lead at the top of the Championship table.
The Foxes have led the table for much of the season with just 10 matches left and will secure automatic qualification if they finish in the top two.
Should that happen, Ndidi and compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho will both be making a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after being relegated with the club last season.
