Jamie Vardy has assured worried Leicester team-mates and boss Brendan Rodgers that he will return before the end of the season next month.
Foxes boss Rodgers admitted last week that his talismanic striker could be out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury. The veteran Leicester title winner, 35, has made just one start and one substitute appearance in a frustrating 2022.
Rodgers admitted before PSV Eindhoven’s visit last week: “It doesn't seem like he's too close to being back." But the striker was due an injection this week after sustaining the injury during the victory against Leeds at the beginning of March.
It was just his second game back following a hamstring problem. But Vardy, who has 10 Premier League goals this term, is now confident he will definitely return later this season. He has recently been troubled by pain in his medial collateral ligament when kicking the ball but the issue has been subsiding. Rodgers said: “He’s got a final injection and we’ll see what the reaction is of that going forward. He can do a lot of fitness work but he is not quite there on kicking the ball. We're hoping we get positive news on that.”
Leicester have have relied on Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka in Vardy's absence. Iheanacho started two gamed for the Foxes before Daka was brought back into the side by Rodgers for their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium. Leicester wrapped up that victory thanks to first-half goals from Ademola Lookman and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who have also chipped in during Vardy's spell out.
Lookman said: “It was a very strong performance against a strong opposition. From us, the unit, togetherness, all the qualities were there. I think we battled hard, especially in the first half, and I feel like we dominated a lot more. Dewsbury-Hall is an amazing player. His energy, his tenacity is what we need and he’s very valuable to the squad, to us, and also not just as a player, but as a person as well. He’s a cool guy and I get along with him very well.”
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Ninth-placed Leicester have nine Premier League games left as they aim to secure a top ten finish and push for Europe. They are back in action on Thursday at Eindhoven in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final tie after drawing 0-0 at home. Leicester could face Roma in the semi-finals if successful but Jose Mourinho ’s side trail Bodo Glimt 2-1 ahead of their home tie. Uefa have launched an investigation into an incident between rival coaches ahead of the second leg between Leicester's potential Europa Conference League semi-final opponents.
European football’s governing body have stepped in following accusations of physical violence from both sides after the quarter-final first leg last Thursday, which the Norwegian side won 2-1. While they investigate, they have suspended both Glimt’s manager Kjetil Knutsen and Roma goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.
The incident occurred outside the two dressing rooms after the game, with both clubs releasing statements to accuse the other of the alleged attack. In their press release, Glimt said they had reported Santos to Norwegian police, and had passed on video to Uefa, adding that Roma were “bombarding the media with untruths”.
