The Super Eagles will be without Wilfred Ndidi for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Completesports.com reports.
Ndidi has missed Leicester City’s last two games due to a muscle injury.
Manager Enzo Maresca revealed ahead of Friday’s (today) Sky Bet Championship clash against Leeds United that the midfielder will only return to action after the upcoming international break.
That has potentially ruled out the 26-year-old from the World Cup qualifiers.
“Wilf will be out until the international break. It is also a muscular problem,”Maresca was qp
uoted by the club’s official website.
” 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.”
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Ndidi was last in action for the Super Eagles in an international friendly against Mozambique last month.
Nigeria will also be without Victor Osimhen for both games.
Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi are also injury doubt for the opening two games of the qualifiers.
Jose Peseiro’s side will host the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Thursday, November 17.
The two-time African champions will then travel to Zimbabwe for a matchday two fixture two days later.
The game is slated for the Huye Stadium, Rwanda.
By Adeboye Amosu
10 Comments
Nigeruans worry so much. The best, and most healthy eleven is never a possibilty anywhere. An injury to one player can start a great career for his replacement.
Super Eagles can compensate with strong players like that Peseiro must summon Anderson Esiti or Ifeanyi Matthew with that the new news say Peseiro will summon Alhassan Yusouf instead of Ndidi; also Nathan Tella or new prolific LASK Lins right winger Victor Usor can be instead of Samu Chukuwueze; Leon Balogun or Igoh Egbo can be instead of Semyi Ajayi; left back side can be by Kalvin Bassey or Jordan Toruniargh instead of injure Bruno Oneymaechi and Zaidu Sanusi; in attack Peseiro can summon Akor Adams and Gift Orban instead of Osimhen.
Anderson Esiti? Please when last did you see him in action?
The DM has been a problem area for a long time rohr spent six years over relying on aging Mikel then Ndidi , he failed to strengthen the DM and Pesiro seems to be confused , he too have not really shown that he knows what he is doing. A tactical coach would have thrown many alternatives into the team to fight for position in the DM but he is behaving just like his predecessor . Players like OLA AINA can do real good in that position if drafted , BASSEY too instead of over reliant on ageing NDIDI who is not really a top DM
Ola Aina and Bassey in DM….What about Paul Onuachu and Chuba Akpom…? Dont you think they too should be made to play DM….?? Afterall, somebody once suggested Olayinka and Chukwueze should be played as fullbacks…LMAoo
“…Players like OLA AINA can do real good in that position if drafted, BASSEY too…”…..What a comic relief for a weekend starter…please pass me what you are drinking. There is love in sharing…LMAOooo.
Rohr used the likes of Mikel, Onazi, John Ogu, Mikel Agu, Ndidi, Onyeka, Aribo, Bonke, Etebo, Ramon Azeez, Esiti, Shehu etc in DM, yet he did not strengthen the DM…..LMAOoo….I never knew we had a Casemiro and Rodri somewhere that we never called up back then.
He probably should have called up all the young men in your village to strengthen the defensive midfield.
With Rohr’s “weak” DM in those 6 years, we qualified for a World Cup Odegbami confessed we had no business qualifying for, qualified back to back and placed 3rd in a 24 team AFCON we couldnt qualify for 3 out of 4 times prior.
Seems you have so quickly forgotten that his “weak” DM was the DM of the team that was so strong it could win AFCON in 2 weeks with any coach……LMAOoo
I guess our DM was stronger than Zuma Rock when we failed to qualify back to back for ordinary AFCON.
Frank onyeka is a verry good DM, even raphael onyedika is also good, they played well against muzambique, our midfield have improved alot, its just that we play two midfielders with pezero formation, if he returns to 4 3 3, our midfield will be very turf to beat, yusuf is a verry good tireless midfielder, his inclusion will be good for us, we dont have better options for now, the likes of daniel daga, onuche ugbelu, and tochukwu Nnadi are the future ballers,
Expected line up for Lesotho/zimbabwe.
I expect pesero to try out 433, the 442 is not working, expecially without osimen,
433 option
Rasheed
Aina ajayi bassey bruno
Onyeka onyedika
Iwobi
Iheanacho boniface simon
442 option
Rasheed
Aina ajayi bassey bruno
Ihencho onyeka iwobi simon
Moffi boniface
Either way we will secure 6 points
Collins, I think Peseiro will stick with his 4-4-2. The man is obdurate. The business end of his contract has begun. Poor showing in November’s world cup qualifiers and January’s Cup of Nations will see the NFF dropping him like a sack of hot potatoes.
So his 4-4-2 formation has to come good for him.
Formation is one thing, yet, it is the movement that is woven into the fabric of any formation that makes it come alive.
One of my worries with the 4-4-2 formation is the fragile midfield. If one of the wingers can continue to augment the midfield and the bank of 4 midfielders and wingers can provide adequate defensive cover when required, then it can work.
Also, the wingers and strikers have to combine to score more goals. That is not happening yet against credible opponents. Perhaps months and months spent practicing this formation will eventually lead to perfection in the Afcon.
That is what Peseiro hopes for.
@deo, when Nigeria is playing without iwobi in the case of the last afcon, or even the recent match against saotome, the 442 can be the best option, but when you have a player like iwobi, you need the 433 formation to bring out the best of such talented midfilder, becos it will give you assurance for both 442 and 433 option, iwobi can easily partner any striker upfront and he scores too, even more dangerouse than the second striker options we had, he also controls and brakes deffense, the last goal he scored against serrieleone in abuja is an example, iwobi is part of gernot rohr powerfull weapon, expecially when played behind strikers, playing him deep is affecting the attack, if i were to be pesero i will play 442 when starting with boniface, but without boniface, 433 is the better option
I agree with you Collins. I just feel that Peseiro has settled with 442 so I build my fantasy around it.
Peseiro has been known to deploy Aribo as a support striker. Perhaps Iwobi is also a very good option as support striker in 442. Rohr used Iwobi as a support striker against Argentina in our 4:2 win.
Iwobi also plays well from deep and he works hard all round as an effective box to box midfielder.
Again, I think Peseiro is betting on a tournament environment to help him further drum his philosophy into the players. Let’s wait and see.
Time to recall Isaac Success. His ball skills are phenomenal and guaranteed to bamboozle African opponents.