Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has expressed relief that Wilfred Ndidi has returned in good condition after the recent international break.
Ndidi was part of Nigeria’s squad that faced a challenging situation at the Al Abaq Airport in Libya over the weekend, where the players were stranded for several hours due to a diversion from their original destination in Benghazi.
Note that Leicester City will be visiting Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium this Saturday. Ahead of the clash, Cooper assured that they maintained close communication with Ndidi throughout the ordeal, confirming his safety and well-being.
“He is fine, which is the most important thing. He’s back with us now, safe and well. We stayed in contact with him during the situation, and he kept us updated,” Cooper shared with The BBC.
“Everyone, myself included, was in touch, and thankfully everything was resolved. He returned soon after and has been training since then, both physically and mentally ready to rejoin the team.”
Cooper added, “He’s more than happy to get back to business as usual. He trained yesterday and plans to train today, so he’ll be ready for the weekend’s game.”
Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion welcomed Semi Ajayi back to training on Thursday following his own challenging experience during international duty with Nigeria.
Ajayi and his Super Eagles teammates, along with coaching staff, were held at an airport in Libya for more than 15 hours without basic amenities, leading to their decision to boycott the 2025 AFCON qualifiers which was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
Ajayi returned to his club on Wednesday and rejoined his teammates for training on Thursday ahead of West Brom’s Sky Bet Championship game against Oxford on Saturday.
