Puel concerned for Amartey after horror injury

Claude Puel says his focus is on Daniel Amartey after the defender suffered a horror injury in the closing stages of Leicester City’s last-gasp 1-1 Premier League draw with West Ham on Saturday.

The Foxes looked to be heading for a third consecutive league defeat after Fabian Balbuena’s first-half opener, but Leicester – aided by Mark Noble’s dismissal before the interval – snatched a late point when Wilfred Ndidi’s 89th-minute strike was deflected in.

Amartey landed awkwardly on his ankle while trying to halt Michail Antonio’s surge deep into stoppage time and was given oxygen while he was treated on the pitch. Following a lengthy delay, he was taken off on a stretcher with his leg in a brace.

Speaking after the game, Puel was not interested in celebrating his side’s late equaliser, insisting he was more concerned with the severity of Amartey’s injury.

“It was a good second half with a lot of chances,” he told BT Sport. “But my first thought at the end is for my player Daniel.

All thoughts with @DanAmartey. You’ll come back stronger. 

— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) October 27, 2018

“He played well and gave his best, so it is difficult to see this injury at the end. I thought more about that at the end than the game.

“I hope it is not as a serious as we think. He will have to have an examination then we will see, of course.”

West Ham were set to end a run of two consecutive defeats until Ndidi’s late strike, but Manuel Pellegrini was proud of his side after they played for more than 50 minutes with 10 men.

“I am happy with the performance and the way the team played but not with the result,” Pellegrini told the BBC.

“We were very unlucky with the goal they scored because we played around 55 minutes with a player less.

“I am very proud with how the team is playing. We drew against Leicester away with one player less which can be seen as a good result but the mentality of the players is to want more.”