Foxes Hit With Injury Blow Ahead of Spurs Clash
Leicester City will be without key forwards Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy for their Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, manager Steve Cooper has confirmed.
The news comes as a blow for the Foxes, who are aiming to bounce back after a disappointing 2022-23 season. Daka, who joined the club in 2021, suffered a serious ankle injury during a pre-season friendly against RC Lens last week and is expected to be out for several months.
"Patson [Daka] obviously is not great news," Cooper said in his pre-match press conference. "He suffered quite a serious ankle injury last week in the game in Lens and he is going to be out for a good few months. He's having an operation today (Friday). That's really unfortunate for him because he was looking good in pre-season."
Vardy, meanwhile, has been sidelined since the second week of pre-season with an injury sustained during a training camp. The veteran striker is nearing a return, but Cooper confirmed he would not be ready for the Tottenham match.
"Vards, similarly, he's been injured since the second week of pre-season now," Cooper explained. "He's closer to returning but it will be a while, although he's itching to get back. But it's not great at that end of the pitch."
"He's right at the latter stages of rehab now and just making sure he can fight past those final stages before he returns," he added. "With experience and age a little bit, he really understands his body and he knows what it takes."
"It's not the first injury he's recovered from or even played with and he will have a big say in that process of returning. We'll work together with him."
The Foxes will also be without defender Conor Coady, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for several more weeks.
However, there was some positive news on the injury front, with full-back Luke Thomas returning to training after missing the final pre-season friendly.
"Conor Coady will be out for a few more weeks as well with his hamstring, but Luke Thomas has returned to training," Cooper stated.
With Daka, Vardy, and Coady all out, Cooper will have to rely on his other attacking options, including new signing Harry Winks, and a young and inexperienced squad to fill the void.
The Foxes will be looking to start their Premier League campaign on a positive note and get their season off to a good start, despite the significant absences. The match against Tottenham Hotspur, who finished last season in eighth place, promises to be a tough encounter.
