“Leicester City Injury Update as Van Nistelrooy’s Decisions Spark Transfer Debate”

Leicester City are nearing a fully-fit squad for the first time this season, presenting Ruud van Nistelrooy with tougher selection decisions.

Ricardo Pereira’s return after four months on the sidelines leaves only Abdul Fatawu unavailable due to an ACL injury that rules him out for the season.

This means van Nistelrooy now has 22 senior outfield players at his disposal, but only 18 can be named in the matchday squad.

Unless further injuries arise, four players will miss out each week. Against Chelsea, Oliver Skipp traveled with the squad but wasn’t included in the matchday lineup, while Jannik Vestergaard, Kasey McAteer, and Odsonne Edouard were left behind.

Vestergaard’s exclusion was particularly surprising, considering he had started just 10 days earlier in City’s loss to West Ham.

Recently, van Nistelrooy has included all four centre-backs in his squads despite using a back four.

However, with the shift to a back five, he opted for only three central defenders—Wout Faes, Conor Coady, and Luke Thomas—while Caleb Okoli took a spot on the bench.

Supporters are unlikely to lament Vestergaard’s omission, especially if it allows more attacking options on the bench.

Ricardo’s return and Woyo Coulibaly’s inclusion—likely as a wing-back in the new system—offer more tactical flexibility.

However, questions will be raised over the other exclusions. Skipp’s absence from the bench only intensifies scrutiny over his £20m transfer fee.

Meanwhile, McAteer’s continued omission calls into question the decision to reject Sunderland’s January bid, although he may only be an injury away from a recall.

Despite van Nistelrooy fielding a strike partnership of Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka at Stamford Bridge, Edouard was still overlooked as a substitute.

This will only add to frustrations over his loan move, which has so far failed to justify itself.