Head coach of Leicester City Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Kelechi Iheanacho is still injured and won’t be allowed to team up with the senior national team of Nigeria, who are in Cote d’Ivoire for the Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Iheanacho was initial billed to join the team in Nigeria before their departure to Cote d’Ivoire but it was pushed back by his club, with a fresh arrival date of Saturday.
Speaking after the team’s first training session in Abidjan, Peseiro said Iheanacho’s arrival was delayed by Leicester City, who said they want to be sure he is hit and ready to return to training before sanctioning his trip to team up with the Super Eagles.
However it appears that date isn’t feasible anymore as the striker is still out injured according to head coach of English Championship side Leicester City.
Manager Maresca said at his press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of this weekend game against Coventry City: “He (Vardy) is better, he starts to train with us. He won’t be in the squad for tomorrow. Kasey is back and Dennis is back”, Maresca added. The only ones (out) are Jamie and Kel (Kelechi), still out, both of them”, he said.
Maresca’s statement has cast a huge doubt on if Iheanacho will be with the team for the tournament and it has already set panic in the camp of the Super Eagles with head coach Jose Peseiro having a little over 24 hours to pick a replacement.
Tournament rules only permit teams to replace injured players 24 hours before their first game of the tournament. Nigeria have already made three adjustments to their sqaud due to injury with the trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar replaced by Alhassan Yusuf, Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
