BIG PROBLEM? Leicester City key star and fan favourite reveals NOT seeing eye-to-eye with Ruud van Nistelrooy after his appointment as Foxes new manager amid 12 defeats in last 13 games

Ruud van Nistelrooy took over as Leicester City manager in November of last year, but his time in charge has been far from smooth sailing.

The Dutch coach has struggled to turn around the Foxes’ fortunes in the Premier League, with the team losing 12 of their last 13 league matches. As a result, Leicester now find themselves six points behind Wolves, who sit in 17th place in the standings.

Despite Wayne Rooney recently commending Van Nistelrooy for his tactical adjustments during Leicester’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday, avoiding relegation seems like an almost insurmountable challenge for the former PSV Eindhoven boss, especially given the tough fixtures ahead.

Adding to the challenges, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has revealed that his initial weeks under Van Nistelrooy were less than ideal due to an injury that kept him sidelined.

Mads Hermansen ‘frustrated’ with timing of injury and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester arrival:

In an interview with Leicester City’s official website, the 24-year-old goalkeeper opened up about how his injury came at the worst possible time, preventing him from making a strong first impression on the new manager and coaching staff.

Hermansen said: “Of course, injuries come at a bad time, but with the new coaching staff and manager, we started off in a bit of a different direction and obviously it was extremely frustrating not to be a part of that and to contribute with my abilities.

“That’s life, sometimes. As a footballer, you need to deal with these situations where you feel like you are unfairly treated. You always learn about your own body as well.

“Hopefully, we can go stronger in the future, but it takes time to get back into that full sharpness. I want to help the team in the best way possible. It’s a long time to be out for, seven weeks, especially with the speed of the game in the Premier League. You need to be sharp and to play at 100% and be at your best. I feel like I’m getting closer to that every single game.”

Mads Hermansen has more than made up for lost time with Leicester:

During the seven Premier League games Hermansen missed due to injury, Leicester managed just one win, causing them to drop from 16th to 19th in the table. The Danish goalkeeper had been sidelined with a groin injury sustained against Newcastle United.

However, since returning to the starting lineup, Hermansen has delivered a series of standout performances, making up for lost time. Most notably, he saved a Cole Palmer penalty on Sunday, becoming the first goalkeeper to stop a spot-kick from the Chelsea star this season.

Hermansen’s return has provided a significant boost to Leicester’s defense. If Van Nistelrooy can address the team’s issues in attack, the Foxes might still have a slim but realistic chance of securing their Premier League survival.