SUPER Eagles head coach Austin Eguavoen is not losing any sleep over the absence of Wilfred Ndidi.
The Leicester City midfielder is not in Kumasi for the Qatar 2022 World Cup playoffs first leg due a injury.
Although Ndidi is a key member of the Super Eagles squad and would almost certainly have started if he had been available, Eguavoen insisted that the team would cope without him.
When he was asked during his pre-match press conference in Kumasi if he would miss Ndidi, Eguavoen insisted that he had other options.
“We have 25 players and the fact that he was named didn’t mean he was guaranteed to start,” Eguavoen noted. “So if he’s not here, someone else will play”.
In Ndidi’s absence, Eguavoen called up Rennes midfielder Innocent Bonke as replacement, and there are still other players in the squad who could play in central defensive midfield.
Depending on his formation, Eguavoen could field any of Frank Onyeka, Shehu Abdullahi and Oghenekaro Etebo in Ndidi’s position, with Joe Aribo also an option.
Friday night’s (tonight’s) clash kicks off at 7.30pm (8.30pm) Nigerian time at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, northern Ghana.
The second leg is billed for Tuesday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
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