Leicester City's fight for Premier League promotion quickly transformed into a battle for EFL Championship survival. The Foxes are plummeting and have fallen into a full-blown crisis following a devastating week that saw their already thin squad take two massive hits. The news that Abdul Fatawu has a knee injury, though not severe, and that Jamaal Lascelles faces a spell on the sidelines has left interim manager Andy King with a decimated roster and a mountain to climb to avoid a historic drop to League One.
Two new Leicester City injuries
The loss of Fatawu would be, quite simply, the worst imaginable scenario for the East Midlands side at this stage. As the most naturally gifted player on the roster, the Ghanaian winger is the primary source of spark in an often impotent attack without Jordan James.
With the problem potentially jeopardising Fatawu's inclusion versus Stoke City at the weekend, LCFC would hypothetically lose the one player capable of winning games single-handedly. Without the 21-year-old's pace and creativity, a team already reeling from a six-point PSR deduction shall look increasingly like a side destined for the bottom three.
"Abdul Fatawu was the other surprise absence from the squad at St Mary’s, the winger left out because of a “grumble” in his knee."LCFC Live
Compounding the gloom is the immediate breakdown of Jamaal Lascelles. While the former Newcastle captain was brought in to provide steel, many measured supporters viewed the signing as a desperate and ill-advised gamble.
Unfit, uncultured on the ball and having lacked competitive minutes for nearly two years, Lascelles' body has already buckled under the task's intensity. His absence leaves a porous defense even more exposed; highlighting a recruitment strategy that favoured 'names' over functional fitness.
With senior figures like Jannik Vestergaard and Harry Souttar also sidelined, the team is down to its bare bones. If Leicester cannot find a way to stabilize without their talismanic winger and a supposed defensive leader, the slide into the third tier may become irreversible. Hopefully Fatawu is passed fit ASAP!