LEICESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16 : Jannik Vestergaard of Leicester City during the Leicester City Training Session at Seagrave Training Complex on August 16, 2024 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Leicester City handed injury boost ahead of Bournemouth clash
Jannik Vestergaard has been named in the Denmark squad for their October internationals, suggesting he will be in contention to face the Cherries on Saturday afternoon
Jannik Vestergaard has been named in the Denmark squad for the upcoming international break, suggesting he should be fit for Leicester City’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
The centre-back has not played for City since the second week of the season, losing his place in the defence to Caleb Okoli just before the September internationals. He played twice for Denmark at the start of this month, but has not been in a City squad since, with manager Steve Cooper revealing last week, after his surprise absence at Walsall, that he’s actually been sidelined with an ankle injury for a couple of weeks.
Now, Vestergaard has been selected alongside Mads Hermansen and Victor Kristiansen by former City coach Lars Knudsen for Denmark’s Nations League games against Spain and Switzerland, which will take place following this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures. That would suggest Vestergaard will be back in contention for a big game against Bournemouth on Saturday.
It will be intriguing to see if the 32-year-old comes back into the fold, either as a starter or on the bench. Conor Coady has been the substitute centre-back for the past few league matches.
Elsewhere, Jordan Ayew may be able to start against the Cherries. He took a “bad knock” in the lead-up to the Arsenal defeat, and so was only fit enough for the bench. However, the Ghanaian did get onto the pitch for the final five minutes.
The only two players definitely out for City are goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk and striker Patson Daka. Stolarczyk is now on the grass again after breaking his foot in pre-season, with the Pole due to return in six-to-eight weeks. Daka, who had ankle surgery after hobbling out of the final summer friendly, is scheduled to be back later in the year.
Gary Lineker is reserving judgement of Leicester City’s relegation chances until after their upcoming run of fixtures, rather than jump to conclusions straight after defeat to Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal.
The Foxes were almost written off before heading to the capital to take on Arsenal, though as the
clock struck the 90 minute mark Steve Cooper found his men on level terms with Mikel Arteta’s. He and his men almost pulled off a daring draw, though fell to two stoppage time goals.
It is a result that leaves them teetering on the edge of the drop zone, kept above only by the number of goals they have scored, albeit after only six matches of the new campaign. And keeping that in mind – as well as a kinder run of fixtures against Bournemouth, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town – Lineker is not getting drawn into this particular discussion just yet.
