The role Papy Mendy will play at Leicester now he’s reinstated

As if that weren’t cruel enough for him, Mendy also suffered a groin strain which kept him from further opportunities in the Carabao Cup. The U23s was Mendy’s way of rehabilitating and keeping him up to fitness, making 3 starts in the PL2. All this led to an open interview in November in which the midfielder admitted that he would like to leave the club.

To his immense credit, Mendy never stopped working hard and, despite not being in the Foxes’ first team squad, he was selected for Senegal ahead of their AFCON campaign. Bad luck hit Mendy again with a positive COVID test ruling him out of the opening two games of the tournament.

However, Mendy’s chance finally came, and boy did he take it. The defensive midfielder looked back to his best, culminating in a MotM performance against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals. Another brilliant display against Burkina Faso in the semi-final saw Senegal progress and set up a mouth-watering final against Egypt, with Senegal attempting to win the competition for the first time in their history.

Speaking on his situation, Mendy had this to say:

"“It’s [been] very complicated and very difficult, whether it be mentally, it’s complicated when I’m deprived of what I love, but I’m passionate.” “I worked really really hard during that period when I wasn’t playing, and today it’s paying off. I’m very pleased and I hope it’ll carry on like this.” Papy Mendy via the Leicester Mercury"

Mendy’s performances have shown that he is still a quality player that Leicester could use. This, and the departure of Benkovic, has seen him reinstated in Rodgers’ Premier League squad as the Foxes prepare to save their season.