Wilfried Nididi transferred to Leicester City from Genk for a £17 million transfer fee on the 3rd of December 2016. He has since filled the void left behind by mercurial defensive midfielder N’Golo Kanté and has helped  Leicester City to sustain their charge for a Chamipions League spot in the current 2019/2020 season. 

Leicester City were on course to challenge for more than Champions League spot as they were the next best team in the league after the all conquering Juggernaut, Liverpool.

An injury sustained by Wilfried Ndidi however has dropped them out of the conversation for the league title and has left them hanging on to just secure a champions league spot. 

With Ndidi in the team,Leicester City gain an average of 1.48 points per match. compared to one point per match without him being in the team, that’s a huge drop for only one player and it points to the heavy reliance of the Nigerian International. 

No one expected Leicester City to be in the conversation for the a “top six” spot, let alone in contention for the title race.

But Brendan Rodgers and his charges stormed up to second in the league while playing attractive football in the process, with Jamie Vardy’s goals propelling them and Wilfried Ndidi providing cover for them in the midfield for the first half of the season.

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It is no coincidence however that Ndidi’s injury, Leicester City’s charge has now halted and Vardy no longer scores as much as he used to – in fact he no longer scores at all as he has now been on a nine match goal drought.

Ndid suffered a knee problem early in January and underwent surgery that was expected to keep him on the sidelines until the end of February.

Due to his obvious importance in the team however the club asserted that he had made a “quick recovery” just thirteen days after his operation. With Manager Brendan Rodgers claiming that the medical team gave him a clean bill of health. 

The bill of health was not so clean apparently has he suffered a relapse in the knee injury two games after,  which has kept him sidelined ever since. Apparently his manager understands his importance.

Ndidi has been urged to leave “average” Leiicester City for giants Manchester City by Super Eagles Legend, Sunday Oliseh. Oliseh claims that a player of Ndidi’s quality should not be in a team like Leicester City, for all his hard work.

Leicester now know that it is better to wait for the Nigerian international to recover naturally than it is for him to be rushed as it carries a risk of heavy setbacks. Leicester boss has now firmly confirmed that Ndidi will not be rushed back from his injury now. 

Even if he does return, will Leicester still end up in a top five spot?