Leicester City's Super Falcons defender ruled out of clash against Manchester United

Nigeria international Ashleigh Plumptre will not be available for selection when Leicester City take on Manchester United in the Women's Super League on Saturday.

The central defender was not involved in Leicester City's Vitality Women’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea at the weekend due to illness and she has not sufficiently recovered to be included in the traveling squad to WN7 4JY.

Plumptre's absence is a big blow to LCFC Women manager Lydia Bedford considering that the Foxes suffered their worst defeat of the season against Chelsea without the influential center back.

The former England youth international impressed on her senior debut against Ivory Coast in a 2022 African Women's Cup of Nations qualifying last month but she blotted her copybook by giving away a penalty in the reverse fixture in Abidjan.

Providing a squad update at Wednesday's press conference, Bedford said : "From the weekend through to now we’ll still be missing Ashleigh Plumptre.

"She’s just had an illness that she’s picked up while away on international duty that she hasn’t been able to shift yet, so we’re just prioritising making sure that we don’t rush her back in."

Plumptre has missed only one of the fifteen matches contested by Leicester City in the Women's Super League before their trip to Manchester United.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel