Maresca Updates On Cannon, Yunus & Ndidi

LCFC Men
02 Nov 2023
2 Minutes
Leicester City forward Tom Cannon's fitness continues to be assessed before Friday's clash with Leeds United, but Yunus Akgün and Wilfred Ndidi remain out, says Manager Enzo Maresca.

- Enzo Maresca has provided an update on the condition of Leicester City's squad
- Tom Cannon may need more time, but is being assessed ahead of a planned debut
- Yunus Akgün and Wilfred Ndidi both remain out with muscular injuries
- Kasey McAteer could make a first start since his own return to contention

Leeds are the visitors to King Power Stadium on Friday for a Sky Bet Championship clash which pits first against third. Cannon, signed from Everton in the summer, is yet to make his debut for the Club with a muscular injury.

Akgün and Ndidi, on the other hand, have not featured for the Foxes since the 3-1 win at Swansea City on 21 October.

"Tom is back with us," Maresca told reporters on Thursday afternoon. "He’s fit but because it’s been a long time, it has to be slow. We’ll see if he can be involved in the next game. Otherwise, the next one, for sure, but we’ll see.

"[He can bring] energy because he’s young. We always demand energy from our young players. He needs time to come back in the right way. It’s good news that he’s working with us in the last three or four sessions.

"This is the most important thing. He needs to continue working. With consistency, for sure, we’re going to use him."

On the absentees, the Italian added: "[Akgün] trained but unfortunately he felt something again in the session so he’s out. It’s a muscular problem.

He played some minutes last week and you can see he’s already good. He’s ready and, if he’s going to play tomorrow, we’ll see.

Enzo Maresca on Kasey McAteer

"Wilf will be out until the international break. It is also a muscular problem. It’s a small thing but when the problem is muscular, even if it’s small, it’s always one week or two weeks because we don’t want to take any risks."

Kasey McAteer, meanwhile, has recently returned from an injury of his own, playing the final stages of Saturday's 2-1 success at Queens Park Rangers.

"Kasey, you have already seen in the last game and he’s back," the Manager explained. "He looks good. He played some minutes last week and you can see he’s already good. He’s ready and, if he’s going to play tomorrow, we’ll see. It could be an option."