JibrinLeicester City will be without Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo today, February 14, 2026, as the Foxes face Southampton in their highly anticipated FA Cup clash at St Mary’s Stadium.
The Nigerian international is unavailable for the encounter, leaving fans stunned ahead of the crucial tie. While speculation has swirled about the sudden absence of the midfield star, the true reason behind the decision remains under wraps until now.
According to Football Association regulations, a loan player is not permitted to feature in an FA Cup match against their parent club — a rule also reinforced in the EFL handbook.
Because of this restriction, Aribo was previously omitted from Leicester City’s 4-3 defeat to Southampton earlier in the week and remains sidelined again today for the FA Cup battle.
The Charlton Athletic academy graduate completed a January transfer move to Leicester in pursuit of more consistent playing time. He made his Foxes debut in a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City on February 7 and is working toward full match sharpness.
Leicester coach King remains optimistic about the midfielder’s readiness following the Southampton fixtures.
Speaking ahead of today’s game, he said:
“Joe’s situation is probably a little bit different, in terms of he has been playing for Southampton a little bit more regularly.
Obviously he’s had this week where he couldn’t play in the two Southampton games, so hopefully by the time the cup game’s over, he’ll have had a week where he’s had minutes against Birmingham and now he’ll be up to speed as well.”
Aribo’s contract with Southampton runs until June 30, 2026. With no new deal currently agreed, there is growing belief that he may have already played his final match for the Saints — adding even more intrigue to his absence today.
Jibrin
