Brendan Rodgers does not think Filip Benkovic is ready to play in the Premier League as Leicester seek replacements for the injured Wesley Fofana, according to The Athletic.
The Foxes lost Fofana after fracturing his right fibula in a pre-season friendly with Villarreal last week. Scans carried out following the fixture revealed the 20-year-old faces a lengthy period on the sidelines and may not return to action until next year.
Fofana’s injury is worse than Leicester initially feared as he also sustained medial knee ligament damage. He required initial treatment on the field for several minutes before paramedics stretchered the centre-half off the pitch.
Rodgers does not yet know definitively when Fofana will return, so is looking within his Leicester ranks for a replacement. The Foxes open the new Premier League season at home to Wolves on Saturday, but Benkovic is unlikely to feature.
Benkovic joined Leicester from Dinamo Zagreb for £13m in 2018 as Claude Puel’s sixth summer signing, signing a five-year contract. The 24-year-old now has two years remaining on his deal, but only two appearances to show for his time there.
Puel handed Benkovic his debut in the EFL Cup against Fleetwood Town in the August of his arrival. But soon joined Celtic on loan, and has enjoyed subsequent spells at Bristol City, Cardiff and Oud-Heverlee Leuven.
However, his time away from the King Power Stadium has not done enough to advance his development, it seems. Rodgers does not believe Benkovic is ready to play in the Premier League for Leicester. Daniel Amartey, instead, could feature alongside Caglar Soyuncu.
Benkovic’s slow Leicester progress will frustrate Rodgers
Amartey and Soyuncu guarded Kasper Schmeichel’s net during Saturday’s 1-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City. But Amartey occupied nothing more than a backup role last season, with 12 top-flight appearances, starting eight.
Rodgers would not field Amartey or Benkovic if Leicester were not without Fofana, plus Jonny Evans with a foot injury. Benkovic’s slow progress will also likely frustrate Rodgers, having lauded the one-cap Croatia international from their time together at Celtic.
“He needs to get working again and show the level he can play at,” Rodgers said, via The Sun in December. “Thankfully for myself, I’ve seen the level. When he was with me at Celtic he played against RB Leipzig, and he was sensational.”
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