Leicester City are dealing with a significant defensive dilemma ahead of their clash with Derby County after their centre-back choices were weakened by yet another injury setback.
Wout Faes is the newest player to be ruled out after sustaining a facial gash that needed stitches, meaning they may head into the match with just one available senior central defender.
Faes took a hit to the face during a Sheffield United set-piece late in the first half and therefore did not return after the break.
As a result, midfielder Oliver Skipp was pushed in to partner Jannik Vestergaard as the Foxes fell 3-2 at home to Sheffield United, a defeat that left Leicester sitting 16th in the standings.
Faes’ setback comes at a troublesome moment for Leicester, who already have Caleb Okoli out until Christmas with a knee problem.
Ben Nelson has likewise been unavailable due to an ankle issue picked up at Norwich. Harry Souttar is also working his way back from an Achilles injury and has been absent for almost a year.
Faes may still recover in time for the trip to Pride Park next week, even if it requires him to wear a protective mask.
If Vestergaard ends up being the sole fit senior centre-back, Marti Cifuentes could be forced to turn to Skipp once more as a ball-playing defender. Hamza Choudhury, who has previously featured at centre-back for City, might also be an option.
Bade Aluko, usually a full-back, impressed in a centre-back role during the summer friendlies and will be back next week after completing his suspension.
If Cifuentes considers dipping further into the academy, Kevon Gray stands out as one of the club’s brightest youngsters, though he has yet to appear in a senior matchday squad.
“It’s a very nasty cut,” Cifuentes commented during his post-match press conference. “It required a lot of stitches. It was bleeding quite a lot. He couldn’t continue.
“He felt dizzy at half-time, so we had to sub him. But I felt Skippy did really well to play as a centre-half.”