By Kayode Ogundare:
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi will undergo a special training programme at the Super Eagles’ pre-World Cup training camp, according to national team coach Gernot Rohr.
In an exclusive interview with Completesportsnigeria.com, Rohr revealed his fears of possible burnout for the 21-year old midfielder who has played a total of 43 games this season for club and country.
“Ndidi is playing so many games without the benefit of a Christmas break or holiday. I talked to his manager Claude Puel to give him a break after our two friendly games in which we also needed him to play so we couldn’t rest him. The manager listened to my appeal and gave him one match to rest which I don’t think was enough,” Rohr told CSN.
Rohr has therefore devised a means of keeping the player in top shape ahead of the first Russia 2018 game against Croatia on June 16.
“The good thing however is that Ndidi is young and committed so I believe he will recover quickly,” Rohr explained to CSN. “We plan to give him one week break after his club’s last game of the season before he will join up with the national team. Then we will start a specific programme for him to allow him recover fully before the first game against Croatia.”
Ndidi has played 32 of his team’s 34 Premier League games this season, missing two games as a result of suspension, three FA Cup games and twice in the English Football League Cup. He also played six games for Nigeria since the start of the season, making him one of the busiest players going to the World Cup.
The former KRC Genk of Belgium star, who has been rated the best tackler in the English Premier League, has played 15 times for the Super Eagles since making his debut and is one of just three players to play in each of Nigeria’s six World Cup qualifying games on the way to Russia 2018.
The post EXCLUSIVE: Rohr Reveals How Ndidi Will Be Kept Fresh, Fit For World Cup appeared first on Complete Sports Nigeria.
