Nelson, Stolarczyk, Kristiansen – Leicester City injury update with five ruled out of Stoke game
Ben Nelson’s ankle injury is not as bad as first feared, with the 21-year-old centre-back having been stretchered off during the win over Norwich a fortnight ago
14:49, 21 Nov 2025
Ben Nelson was stretchered off after suffering an injury to his right ankle at Norwich(Image: Chris Radburn/PA Wire)
Ben Nelson could be back in training next week with the Leicester City centre-back’s ankle injury not as bad as first feared.
Nelson landed awkwardly during the victory over Norwich and was taken off on a stretcher to spark fears of a long lay-off.
City manager Marti Cifuentes said at the time that his right ankle had swollen up immediately, while the 21-year-old was seen wearing a protective boot the following week.
However, the injury is not a serious one, and he could be back on the training pitches at Seagrave from next week.
It likely rules him out of at least the next three matches though, against Stoke on Saturday, Southampton on Tuesday, and Sheffield United the following weekend. He may be available again when City play Derby in their first fixture of December.
For the clash with the Potters, Nelson will be one of five City players definitely absent, with goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk also ruled out again.
Taken off with a groin injury against Middlesbrough, he’s still in recovery and won’t play against Stoke, with a decision to be made over whether he can return to face the Saints.
Victor Kristiansen revealed he underwent knee surgery during the international break and he will be out until the new year. Aaron Ramsey and Harry Souttar complete the quintet of absences.
But Caleb Okoli, who also went off with injury at Norwich with a shoulder problem, has been in training and should be available for selection against Stoke.
“He (Stolarczyk) is getting better,” Cifuentes said at his press conference on Friday afternoon. “He’s still working to recover. He will not be ready for Saturday.
“The positive is that he’s feeling more confident. I’m sure we’re not far from seeing him again. Let’s see how he progresses (to see if he’s available for Southampton).
“It was very unfortunate for Ben because I think he did very well, both in his 30 minutes against Norwich and in the previous game.
“It was an ankle issue when he landed, so it was very unlucky. It will take some time that he’s right again. But again, there’s good progress. He’s working well and hopefully next week he will be back on the pitch.
“It’s very unlucky (for Kristiansen). Against Blackburn in a duel, he had an impact on his knee. We started to test, it was not progressing well, it was quite swollen, and the doctors and specialists decided it was better to have a small intervention.
“It will take some weeks until he’s recovered. Around then (the new year), it will definitely take more than a few weeks.
“He (Okoli) has been getting better. He has been training with the group.”
Cifuentes said all of his international players had returned unscathed and that none of his players who stayed at home had suffered injuries.
The manager can also now turn to Louis Page and Jake Evans after they returned from more than three weeks away with England Under-17s.
They were eliminated from the World Cup in Qatar at the last-16 stage on Tuesday and are now back in training, albeit Page has been working through a minor ankle problem.
On the teenage pair, Cifuentes said: “Obviously they have been away for a long time and they are young guys, so it’s not only the physical part but also the mental toll it takes when you are away from home for three or four weeks.
“They learned a lot and they’re happy about the experience. It’s unlucky they couldn’t progress even more in the World Cup.
“Jake was very eager, especially as he didn’t get many minutes, to train and play as soon as possible. With Louis, we perhaps need to manage him in a slightly different way. But they’re ready to contribute.”
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