Leicester City boss Claude Puel has suggested that Kelechi Iheanacho could yet play a part in the team's clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend despite breaking his hand on international duty.
The Nigerian forward sustained the injury in training in mid-week, causing him to miss his country's 2-0 loss to Serbia at Barnet's The Hive Stadium. However, Puel has confirmed that the injury is not as bad as first feared but he will continue to monitor the striker when he returns to training with the Foxes.
'We will see if he can play'
Talking in his pre-match press conference, he said: “We will see about Iheanacho because he has a broken hand.
“We will see if he can play with his injury. We will see tomorrow (Friday) in the training session."
The Frenchman also confirmed that he would investigate whether it would be possible for the 21-year-old to play at the Amex Stadium with a cast protecting his arm.
He said: “I think he fell. It’s not an important injury. We will see if this injury prevents him from playing in this game. Perhaps it might be strange for him to play with a cast.”
'He is not available'
Puel also told that the East-Midlanders would also be without midfielder Matty James due to an Achilles tendon injury picked up in training. It is the latest absence suffered by the 26-year-old who has had to endure two-and-a-half injury-hit seasons. The Englishman ruptured his cruciate ligament in 2015 and has been ruled out for the majority of the current campaign with similar Achilles problems.
Puel confirmed his latest absence in his pre-match press conference. He said: "I wanted to give information with Matty James not available because of injury. He is not available."
Harry Maguire however has returned from international duty unscathed after being withdrawn in England's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in mid-week.