NIGERIA could be missing a key player for the Qatar 2022 World Cup playoffs as Wilfred Ndidi is now a big doubt.
The Leicester City midfielder limped off in the 60th minute of his side’s UEFA Europa Conference League match at Rennes on Thursday night, just eight days to the first leg of the playoffs.
The Super Eagles are due to face Ghana’s Black Stars in Kumasi next Friday in the first leg of the playoff tie, with the second leg four days later in Abuja.
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers delivered grim news about Ndidi’s condition moments after Thursday’s encounter.
“Ndidi had a block tackle, so it’s his medial ligament in his knee… we’ll see how that is. We lost a couple of players just before we travelled, Cags and Patson,” Rodgers said in his post-match interview.
The injury could take up to three weeks to heal, which would rule Ndidi out of both games against Ghana, leaving a big hole in Nigeria’s midfield.
Ndidi’s Super Eagles teammates however went through the match unscathed as Leicester City lost 2-1 in Rennes but progressed to the quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.
Kelechi Iheanacho led the Leicester attack for the full game, while new Super Eagles invitee Ademola Lookman replaced the injured Marc Albrighton in the first half and then assisted Wesley Fofana for the Foxes’ goal in the 51st minute.
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