Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has addressed supporters' calls for Ghana international Abdul Fatawu Issahaku to take a more prominent role in the squad.
The 20-year-old played a pivotal role in the Foxes' promotion to the Premier League, delivering exhilarating performances on the flank alongside Stephy Mavididi under former manager Enzo Maresca.
However, the two wide players have yet to start together in this Premier League season, with Issahaku included in the lineup for the first three matches, while Mavididi has been featured in the starting eleven for the subsequent four games.
Cooper’s preference for a winger capable of also playing as an attacking midfielder has led to Facundo Buonanotte, Jordan Ayew, or Bobby De Cordova-Reid occupying the opposite wide position.
While fans of the club initially questioned Mavididi’s absence in the early weeks of the campaign, there are now growing calls for Issahaku to reclaim his starting position, as fans express a desire to see last season's successful wide duo play together again.
Although Ghanaian forward has been introduced as a substitute in every match, his playing time has been limited recently, appearing only in stoppage time against Everton and Arsenal, and featuring for the final 10 minutes against Bournemouth.
In a recent interview, Cooper addressed the ongoing discussions about the young winger's role within the team.
“That question could be for anybody who doesn’t start. We have a squad. Everybody’s working hard. We have a team that will start and players that will finish. Three or four games ago, it was Stephy. Now it’s Abdul. It could be Kasey (McAteer). It’s a normal question to ask, I understand that. But the question should really be about Stephy and not Abdul. Next week will be somebody else," he said as per Leicester Mercury.
He further stressed the competitive nature of the squad, noting, “What I do know is that we have a group that are really working hard in training, fighting for the shirt. Some guys deserve more opportunities than they’ve been given, but we’ve got the numbers that we’ve got. We’re trying to manage all that in a positive way. The guys are doing that; they’re putting the team first.”
He also praised Issahaku, stating, “Abdul’s a really good young player, really exciting, a good attitude, a nice kid, and he’s got a really bright future in front of him.”
Issahaku has made seven appearances for Leicester this season, starting three of those matches and averaging 39 minutes of play per game. While he has yet to find the back of the net, he has registered one assist.
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