Ndidi Working Towards Full Fitness

- Wilfred Ndidi chats to LCFC TV ahead of facing Sevilla on Sunday
- Pre-season concludes against the Spanish side (6pm kick-off)
- He is looking forward to playing in front of the Filbert Way crowd
- The midfielder featured for 60 minutes against Derby County last week

A 6pm kick-off at King Power Stadium, the Foxes welcome the Spanish outfit to Filbert Way following five friendlies on the road, including trips to Belgium and France, as Brendan Rodgers’ side get up to speed ahead of the Premier League campaign.

Last weekend’s runout against Derby County – one of two games played by City that day - provided Ndidi with just over an hour in the tank before being replaced by Papy Mendy, who contributed to a 3-1 victory at Pride Park.

“Everyone is feeling great, feeling fit also, which is good, and the mentality is really positive,” the Nigerian midfielder said of the mood in the camp ahead of tackling Rojiblancos.

“It was a good feeling for me (against Derby) because it has been a long time coming and I’ve been working hard coming back. Having those minutes is really important for me, getting that match fitness up and just enjoying the game.”

With the 2022/23 season fast approaching, Ndidi believes Julen Lopetegui’s men, six-time UEFA Europa League winners, will prove a good test of how far Leicester have progressed.

And while fitness is the main focus of pre-season, he is keen to sign off with a win before entertaining Brentford a week on Sunday.

The midfielder continued: “It’s been really tough. It’s pre-season anyway, so it’s been preparing us fitness-wise and trying to prepare for us for it, which is really good. The mentality also comes in, which is important.

“Just like every game, we try as much as possible to get a win. That’s the main focus, to do our best and try to prove ourselves that we can actually do better. Whichever way the game goes, it’s just for us to keep going and the group is still together. We’re trying to learn.

“I think that it’s very important and the fact that we missed out in the European tournament is something which is sad but we know coming up against a European side, it’s very good and a challenging for us to prepare us for the start of the season.

“The preparation has been there since the start of pre-season. From the first day of pre-season it has been about constantly preparing for every game, not just the first game, to get the body used it to.”

The Blue Army have followed the Foxes up and down the country throughout the summer, but this will be the first time that City have played in front of a home crowd since May. It’s something the 25-year-old cannot wait to experience again.

“It will be very nice,” he added. “They always come through and are really important. They are always there cheering. We’ve been working away and coming to play at King Power Stadium again is really nice. To see the fans again and enjoy the atmosphere, we’re looking forward to it.”

All times BST.