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LONDON - Leicester City will be seeking a center back after French defender Wesley Fofana broke his leg in a friendly against Europa League winners Villarreal, manager Brendan Rodgers said on Thursday.
Rodgers told reporters the injury, after a 'horrendous' challenge, was a major blow for the club only 10 days before the start of the Premier League season.
"He fractured his fibula and we are devastated for him," said Rodgers. "He's a top-class player so he's going to be a huge loss for us.”
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
Why on earth are players tackling like this in a pre season ‘friendly’???
Get well soon Fofana pic.twitter.com/aFbuihqlXz— matt (@thfcmxtt) August 4, 2021
Leicester, who play league champions Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday, already have defender Jonny Evans out with a foot injury and had been looking for reinforcements before the blow of losing Fofana.
"We're definitely light in the area," said Rodgers of what is likely to be a loan deal. "It's certainly something we'll look at. There will be a small group of players identified. We'll see what happens."
Fofana received treatment on the pitch on Wednesday before being carried off on a stretcher following a clash with Fernando Niño. Rodgers said Niño had apologized but it was "disappointing for something like that to happen in a pre-season friendly."
FA Cup winners Leicester won 3-2 at the King Power Stadium and open their season at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Aug. 14. The Foxes signed Fofana on a five-year deal from St Etienne last October for a reported fee of around $41.75 million and the Midlands club went on to finish fifth in the league as he was named their young player of the season.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris and Christian Radnedge)
