McAteer and Praet injury latest with Maresca happy to ‘lose quality’ for balance
The latest updates from Seagrave as boss Enzo Maresca gives news of the fitness of his squad ahead of the clash with Preston and amid the busy Championship schedule
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Kasey McAteer will be out for up to six weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered at Blackburn.
McAteer pulled up as he sprinted into the box just 18 minutes after he came on as a substitute. He will now be out for at least a month, and potentially until after the November international break.
“It will be between four and six weeks,” Leicester City boss Maresca said of McAteer’s injury at his press conference, before joking: “Kasey McAteer is top scorer, that means we are in big trouble!
“We are unhappy because he was doing very well. He is a great guy, happy and hungry. It’s a shame for him. It’s just for six weeks, but probably it’s a good time for him to have some rest after a good start. He will be back soon with us.”
The task for Maresca is to avoid picking up any more injuries. With the clash with Preston the second of three games in seven days, he has hinted at rotating, even if that leads to a drop in quality.
“It’s been a problem,” he said. “It will be a problem because we have more games to play. It is what it is. It’s the same for all of the clubs. It’s not easy to find a solution.
“The best thing we can do is try to adapt and make rotations. Sometimes we have to lose some quality because of the rotation. But you need to balance if you prefer to lose some quality and don’t get injuries, or to take risks for new injuries and to have more quality.”
