Leicester City head coach, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, has lauded the characteristics of Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Onyinye Ndidi, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Genk man started 15 league games for the Foxes this season from their opening 15, before picking up a thigh injury against Brighton and Hove Albion on the 8th of December.
Last week, Ndidi returned to action after two months and was heavily involved in his side’s first goal as Leicester City broke the deadlock against Manchester United, although they ended up losing their FA Cup tie, thanks to a late Harry Maguire winner.
Wilfred Ndidi vs United:
58 minutes played
52 touches
35/43 accurate passes (81%)
1/2 accurate long balls
1/4 ground duels won
2/2 aerial duels won
1 shot on target
1 clearance
1 block
1 interception
1 time dribbled past| #LCFC | pic.twitter.com/pJ6zTlKiWI
— LCFC Data (@LCFCDATA) February 7, 2025
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After the game, Leicester City head coach, Van Nistelrooy, praised Ndidi’s display against the Red Devils and has done the same ahead of his side’s crucial clash against Arsenal tomorrow.
“It starts with his [Ndidi] personality, which is excellent. Then it is his leadership and his playing capabilities. He has an enormous reach on the pitch, on and off the ball. The complete package of him as a character and a player has lifted the team,” the former Real Madrid striker said in quotes revealed by BBC Sports.
Can Ndidi save Van Nistelrooy’s job at Leicester?
In nine English Premier League games without their anchorman, Leicester City won just one game. In that time, they scored four goals and conceded 23 whooping goals, highlighting they missed Ndidi’s solidity in midfield.
With the Nigerian present in midfield, Van Nistelrooy’s side were able to dominate the passage of play at Old Trafford for the first 58 minutes he was on the pitch. He was taken off as he’d only just returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but his inclusion was telling.
Leicester City are currently 18th on the English Premier League table, eight points above 20th-placed Southampton.
Should Ndidi stay fit, the 2021 FA Cup Champions have a huge chance of staging a fight against Mikel Arteta’s men at the King Power Stadium tomorrow.
Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, due to injuries. While they do possess the ability to hurt teams from set-pieces, Leicester arguably have the faster attack due to the presence of more forwards.
With Ndidi in midfield, the Foxes can take the game to Arsenal, with the cheer of their home fans behind them. Should they claim all three points tomorrow, it’ll be a huge statement that’ll determine how they approach their games till the end of the season.
However, the entire Leicester City team need to pull themselves together if they’re to survive relegation at the end of the season. In their next seven league games, Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s side will take on;
- Arsenal (H), Tomorrow.
- Brentford (H), 21/02.
- West Ham United (A), 27/02.
- Chelsea (A), 9/03.
- Manchester United, (H), 16/03.
- Manchester City (A), 2/04
- Newcastle United (H), 5/04.
For Leicester to survive relegation, they’ll need to go on a winning streak that’ll see them win at least three of these games, but even that is a stretch. Manchester City, Arsenal, and Newcastle United are gunning for European spots.
Manchester United, Brentford and West Ham United on the other hand are trying their best to finish as high up as the table, meaning the chances of the Foxes staying in the Premier League are very slim.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s future at the King Power Stadium doesn’t hang on Ndidi’s shoulders but on his ability to harness the strength of the squad he’s been given. The foreseeable future spells doom for the 2015 English Premier League winners, but like we’ve seen in football severally, nothing is impossible.