Steve Cooper Shares Key Update on Facundo Buonanotte’s Injury
Leicester City Manager Steve Cooper Gives Update on Facundo Buonanotte After the 19-Year-Old Was an Unused Substitute in Saturday’s Draw at Crystal Palace.
Facundo Buonanotte has been a standout performer for Leicester City this season, scoring his first goal for the club in their match against Aston Villa before the international break.
The 19-year-old, currently on loan from Brighton, came off the bench in that game, which puzzled some supporters since he had previously started in matches against Tottenham and Fulham.
It was later revealed that Buonanotte had been dealing with an injury, which affected his fitness and kept him from starting.
Leicester manager Steve Cooper included the Argentine midfielder among the substitutes against Villa but, despite taking a 2-0 lead, opted not to bring him on, preferring a more defensive strategy.
After the game, Cooper addressed Buonanotte’s situation, explaining that the player had undergone a scan due to his lingering injury.
“He had a scan a few days ago,” Cooper said.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t anything too serious, and he made the bench today. It was a pity for him because he came on against Villa, performed well, and has been training well.
He would have been in contention to start, but we had to be cautious with him.
He’ll be back in training next week and should be available for the match against Everton.”
The absence of Buonanotte became a key talking point among Leicester fans, both before and after the game.
However, Cooper reassured them that the young Argentine would soon return to full fitness and resume his role in the squad.
In the meantime, Cooper defended his decision to start Wilfred Ndidi in the more advanced number 10 position for the second game in a row.
With Buonanotte still recovering, Cooper was also hesitant to introduce another summer signing, Bilal El Khannouss, who remained an unused substitute.
Some fans expressed frustration over Ndidi’s selection, especially after his underwhelming performance in the loss to Villa.
However, Ndidi quickly silenced critics by providing assists for both of Leicester’s goals in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Explaining his choice, Cooper said, “We have the squad to make decisions based on player profiles for specific games and positions. Wilf delivered today.
He’s had a long week with international travel, but his experience in the Premier League showed. We needed that today, and fortunately, it paid off.”
