Leicester striker Jamie Vardy out several weeks with knee injury

By Associated Press

LEICESTER: Leicester striker Jamie Vardy will be sidelined for several weeks because of a knee injury, manager Brendan Rodgers said Wednesday.

The 35-year-old Vardy had recently returned from a hamstring injury when he sustained the knee problem in Leicester’s 1-0 win over Leeds in the Premier League on March 5.

“He unfortunately got injured in the last game so he’s going to be out for a few weeks, which is a shame,” Rodgers said. “Hopefully in the next three to four weeks it responds OK. He just felt soreness the day after the game.”

Vardy is Leicester’s top scorer with 10 league goals despite the long layoff due to the hamstring issue. He made his first start of 2022 on Saturday.

Leicester hosts French club Rennes on Thursday in the first leg of the last 16 in the Europa Conference League.

“It’s very frustrating, for him in particular of course, having been out for the period of time, working so hard to get back,” Rodgers said. “And then you see the difference he makes coming into the team, and so then for us it’s frustrating because you miss that level of player.”

Vardy scored off the bench in a 2-0 victory at Burnley on March 1.

Wesley Fofana will miss the Rennes match after testing positive for COVID-19. The defender broke his leg in preseason and had been close to making his first appearance of the campaign.

The 21-year-old Frenchman signed a contract extension this week to keep him at Leicester until 2027.