Leicester City: Injured Mendy suffers another set-back en route to recovery
By Jake Cursley
Leicester City’s summer signing Nampalys Mendy has suffered another set-back on his road to recovery following his ankle operation in October.
Leicester City signed Nampalys Mendy during the summer for a fee of £13m after his impressive season in Ligue 1 where he captained OGC Nice to 4th place.
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The Frenchman was bought in to replace fellow countryman N’Golo Kante after the midfield engine left the East Midlands for life in London with Chelsea.
Mendy had a good start to his Leicester career and looked to be in shape to fill Kante’s big boots however he suffered an ankle injury during Leicester City’s 0 – 0 draw with Arsenal in their second game of the season.
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Since his injury, Nampalys has undergone surgery on his ankle which Leicester fans hoped would speed his recovery however after returning to training, he has suffered another set-back this week during the international break.
Speaking to the media, boss Claudio Ranieri confirmed that Mendy is to be assessed again:
"“Today he was no good,”"
"“I’ll wait because the surgeon wants to see him again. Now we are waiting. Of course mentally he is down. I understand.”"
Leicester fans will be waiting for news of Mendy’s extended injury concerns as the foxes are yet to find a replacement in midfield for the Frenchman.
Despite The Tinkerman tinkering with the side, he has yet to find the solution to Leicester’s midfield woes.
Rather than finding a brand new midfield pairing, Danny Drinkwater once more has once again stepped up to the plate.
When Esteban Cambiasso left Leicester after helping them retain their Premier League status in the most entertaining way possible in their great escape from relegation, many tipped Leicester City to go down.
Danny Drinkwater had other ideas as he filled the creative void that was left behind in Esteban’s absence (With the help of N’Golo Kante’s defensive duties).
This season, N’Golo Kante left and Drinkwater has retained his high level of play in the middle of the park. As such, his place in the side is unquestionable, the only question is to who he is paired with.
Andy King can play alongside Drinkwater however it tends to be a case of ‘too many cooks’ as both players like to go forwards into the final third during attacks which leaves Wes Morgan and Robert Huth vulnerable to counter-attacks.
Daniel Amartey had a fantastic display against Swansea where he showed the Premier League what he was capable of following his move in January from FC Copenhagen. However since that game however he has failed to retain his standard of play, often putting Leicester at risk.
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The obvious solution to Leicester’s midfield issues is the speedy recovery of Mendy. All Leicester fans can do is wait.