Ruud van Nistelrooy has subtly criticized Leicester City star Facundo Buonanotte.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team has struggled significantly since the start of the festive period, suffering eight losses in their last nine Premier League matches.

Among those results was a surprising 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, with Bilal El Khannouss earning much of the praise.

Since Van Nistelrooy’s arrival, El Khannouss has emerged as Leicester’s standout player. However, this shift in focus has led to a reduced role for Facundo Buonanotte.

Surprisingly to many Leicester fans, Buonanotte has barely featured under Van Nistelrooy, being limited to brief cameo appearances.

There have been rumors of a fallout between the two, and on deadline day, it was revealed that Buonanotte wanted to leave Leicester.

In a recent press conference ahead of Leicester’s FA Cup match against Manchester United, Van Nistelrooy made a subtle remark suggesting that Buonanotte wasn’t contributing to the team’s improvement.

The manager explained, “When you strengthen the team, your chances improve, but the means weren’t there. Also, the loan spots were blocked because we already had two players.

It’s disappointing that those two loans aren’t getting minutes and aren’t strengthening the team. We explored foreign loans instead.”

Van Nistelrooy now faces the challenge of reintegrating Buonanotte into the team.

Under Steve Cooper, Buonanotte was considered one of Leicester’s key players alongside Jamie Vardy, contributing with goals and assists.

However, since Van Nistelrooy’s arrival in November, Buonanotte has only started three games.

For Leicester to have the best chance of avoiding relegation, Buonanotte must be a regular starter.

Relying too heavily on El Khannouss to provide moments of brilliance is not sustainable.

Hopefully, the Argentina international can convince Van Nistelrooy in training to earn a more prominent role and reestablish his place in the team.