JibrinLeicester City’s latest setback has only intensified the scrutiny surrounding a squad already stretched thin — and Saturday’s defeat added fresh concerns to an already fragile situation.
The absence of key figures once again proved costly as Leicester City fell short against Southampton, leaving supporters questioning both the depth and durability of the squad.
Defensive Woes Mount
Jamaal Lascelles may miss up to three Championship fixtures after sustaining an injury shortly after beginning his Leicester career.
Lascelles, the club’s only permanent addition among their four deadline-day arrivals, was absent for the FA Cup defeat at Southampton and is expected to be sidelined for a week or two.
That timeline could rule him out of City’s upcoming Championship encounters — away trips to Stoke and Middlesbrough, followed by a home clash with Norwich.
The defender had only just returned to regular senior action, making his first start in 23 months during last weekend’s fixture at Birmingham, before appearing off the bench in the midweek league loss to Southampton.
With Lascelles now unavailable — along with Jannik Vestergaard and Harry Souttar — the responsibility at centre-back shifts to Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson, while Bade Aluko is expected to provide cover.
“Jama picked up something at the back end of the week,” interim boss Andy King said on Saturday. “It’s only a small issue so he’ll be out for a week or two.
“It’s something small which you sometimes get when you haven’t played for a long time and then play a couple of games in a week.
“It’s a shame for us because he had a big impact at Birmingham. We tried to rest him a little on Tuesday to get him through this first couple of weeks, but that hasn’t managed to happen.”
Another Unexpected Blow
There was also surprise surrounding the omission of Abdul Fatawu from the squad at St Mary’s. The winger was withdrawn due to what was described as a minor “grumble” in his knee.
Given his previous ACL rupture last season, the club opted for caution. However, there are currently no strong indications he will be unavailable for the upcoming trip to Stoke.
“Abdul is just us being careful because of when he did his cruciate last year,” King said. “He missed a lot of football. He’s been such an important player for us, so when he gets a grumble around his knee, we have to manage that really carefully.
“Even before today, the priority was the league. For someone who scores as many goals and is as important as he is to our team, we need to make sure he’s right.”
So What Was Really Wrong With the Pair?
And here’s the detail that truly underlines Leicester’s collapse — the issue wasn’t tactical confusion or lack of effort. It was availability.
The “pair” at the heart of the headline? Lascelles and Fatawu — two players expected to provide stability at the back and attacking spark out wide — were both unavailable at a critical moment.
One sidelined by a fresh injury just weeks into his tenure.
The other managed cautiously due to lingering knee concerns tied to last season’s ACL tear.
Leicester didn’t just lose a match — they lost balance.
A reshuffled defence. A missing attacking outlet. A squad already thin, stretched further.
And as King subtly revealed, sometimes a team’s collapse isn’t about what’s happening on the pitch — it’s about who isn’t on it.
Jibrin
