“He’s back…”: Steve Cooper shares injury updates on two Leicester City stars ahead of Man Utd clash
Steve Cooper provides fitness update on Leicester City centre-back Jannik Vestergaard ahead of Carabao Cup clash with Manchester United.
Jannik Vestergaard has been absent from Leicester City’s lineup since their 2-1 defeat to Fulham in August due to an ankle injury.
However, he was fit enough to represent Denmark in the October international break, where he performed well for his country.
The 32-year-old defender missed Leicester’s recent comeback win over Southampton and the 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
Leicester manager Steve Cooper has now provided an update, confirming that Vestergaard is fit and available for their upcoming match against Manchester United.
Vestergaard’s absence over the past months has allowed Caleb Okoli to step up alongside Wout Faes, forming a reliable partnership.
With Cooper potentially making changes after the Forest defeat, he confirmed in a Tuesday press conference (as reported by Leicestershire Live), “Jannik is available again.
He had a bit of a stutter with his ankle. He’s back with the group and he’s an experienced player. We’ll see what’s what in terms of availability.”
Cooper also gave an update on left-back Victor Kristiansen, who suffered a groin injury before the Forest game. “It’s not too bad,” Cooper said. “It’s a muscle injury to the groin.
It’ll be a little while but it’s days and weeks rather than anything longer. The scan showed it could have been worse.”
Should Vestergaard Start Against Manchester United?
Following Wout Faes’ struggles against Nottingham Forest, particularly his mistake leading to Chris Wood’s second goal, it may be time for a change in Leicester’s defense for the Manchester United match.
Conor Coady, who played well in Leicester’s Carabao Cup victories over Tranmere and Walsall, could replace Faes and partner with Okoli.
Since joining from Atalanta in the summer, Okoli has impressed, and having a seasoned player like Coady alongside him could be key against United.
As for Vestergaard, his return is a boost for Cooper, but he is unlikely to start immediately.
Cooper may choose to gradually ease him back into action rather than placing him straight into the starting lineup.
