Fatawu Issahaku’s injury a massive setback for Leicester City – Ruud van Nistelrooy

Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has lamented the absence of Ghanaian forward Fatawu Issahaku, describing his injury as a massive loss for the Foxes, who face an uphill battle to avoid relegation and stay in the Premier League.

Fatawu, a loan signing from Sporting CP, was a key figure in Leicester’s promotion to the top division during the 2023/24 Championship season. The 20-year-old scored six goals and provided 13 assists, prompting the 2016 champions to sign him permanently as they prepared to compete in the Premier League.

Fatawu started the 2024/25 campaign brightly, assisting Jamie Vardy for Leicester’s first goal in their 1-1 draw against Tottenham. He added another assist in Leicester’s 3-2 comeback win over Southampton.

However, his season ended abruptly after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in November while on international duty with Ghana.

Since his injury, Fatawu has missed seven Premier League games, during which Leicester have lost five and won only one, underscoring the young forward’s importance to the team. Reflecting on his side’s 10th league defeat of the season against Liverpool, Van Nistelrooy, in a post-match conference, acknowledged the impact of Fatawu’s absence while stressing the need for better fortune to turn things around.

“Of course, you need some luck. I think keeping our best players fit is crucial. Losing Fatawu to a cruciate injury just a week before I started was a big blow. It’s a massive loss for this team,” he said.

Leicester sits 18th in the Premier League standings with 14 points from 18 games. The Foxes will need to be at their best in the coming matches to avoid relegation.

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