Jayden Joseph will miss Tuesday’s Leicester City vs Walsall tie in the EFL Trophy, even though he has returned to training after a long spell out. Leicester City are still holding him back, with the next realistic target now after the international break.
That matters because Joseph’s last appearance came in September’s 4-3 victory over Stockport County, and what was meant to be a shorter lay-off has stretched towards two months. Russell Martin said he was training again, but added that he still needs time before he can be considered properly for selection.
Martin said he was really hopeful Joseph would be back in the squad for the Huddersfield game, which leaves Tuesday’s match as another week where Leicester have to do without him. The timing is awkward because the EFL Trophy is now at the business end of the group stage, and Leicester go into it after beating Fulham Under-21s 6-1 and losing 2-1 to Stevenage.
Joseph’s absence is only part of the picture. Leicester are also planning without Jakub Stolarczyk and Ben Nelson, both of whom are recovering from ACL injuries. Martin said the club have to prepare on the basis that neither will feature again this season, even if there is still hope that one or both could return before the end of it.
That is where the friction sits. Leicester have a player back on the grass, but not yet back in contention, and they have two others whose recoveries are measured in seasons rather than weeks. Ben Nelson ruptured his ACL in the pre-season defeat against Genoa, while Stolarczyk suffered his injury in the 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in September.
Martin also underlined the human side of that reality, saying the priority is to make sure the injured players are looked after. For Leicester, the immediate question is not whether Joseph is improving — he is — but whether his next step comes in time to matter after the break, when Huddersfield offers the first realistic chance for his return.
