Reports suggest that Leicester City has banned Jannik Vestergaard from first-team training after he criticized the team’s manager, Brendan Rodgers. The defender expressed his disappointment in Rodgers’ team selection, particularly for not picking him. Vestergaard has only made three appearances for the club this season.
Leicester City has been struggling this season and is currently in danger of being relegated, sitting just three places and two points above the relegation zone. Despite their troubles, Rodgers has reportedly chosen to axe Vestergaard and told him to “stay away.” The defender last started a Premier League game in January 2022 and has been training on his own with a fitness coach in recent weeks.
Vestergaard, who is 30 years old, had the option to move in January with offers from Hertha Berlin and Monaco on the table, while Fulham made a bid last summer. However, he turned them down to stay with his heavily pregnant wife, who was advised not to travel.
In a recent interview with EkstraBladet, Vestergaard described his lack of game time as “strange,” suggesting that Rodgers had shown a lot of interest when signing him. He said, “I really felt wanted by Brendan Rodgers. While I was at Southampton, he really convinced me that I should switch to Leicester.”
Vestergaard continued, “I was already very close to switching from Southampton to Leicester, a year and a half before it became a reality. So Brendan Rodgers and the club knew exactly which player they were buying with both my strengths and weaknesses, and it’s hard to understand that from one moment to the next I’m suddenly unusable. It feels strange, I must admit.”
Leicester City has not commented on the situation, but it is clear that there is tension between the club and Vestergaard. It remains to be seen whether the defender will be able to resolve his issues with Rodgers and return to first-team training.
The situation highlights the challenges that managers face when it comes to team selection. While every player wants to play as much as possible, it is up to the manager to make decisions that are in the best interests of the team. This can lead to disagreements and conflicts with players who feel that they are being unfairly left out.
Ultimately, it is up to the manager to maintain control of the team and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal. While it can be difficult to balance the needs of individual players with those of the team as a whole, it is essential for success on the pitch.
In the case of Vestergaard, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to reconcile with Rodgers and return to first-team training. However, regardless of the outcome, it is clear that managers must be prepared to make tough decisions and deal with conflicts in order to lead their teams to victory.