Kirsten Otchere and Nathan Opoku are the two top strikers being played by Russell Martin in the two pre-season games. Both players are not mentioned much as players having the ability to play in this position for the first team.
When you build a squad you need to be careful with your additions. To have Opoku and Otchere, and possibly Danny Ings, will it be enough or is it a chance both Opoku and Otchere will be gone by the season start.
Leicester have played League Two teams in their pre-season games so far, so it’s a major point to get both of these two in action against better opposition, to be able to do a good judgement on the attacking duo.
Nathan Opoku has experience from top flight football in Belgium, playing on loan for OH Leuven. He had a solid loan spell away at Newport last season, so to see him as a second or third alternative up front can be relevant.
Nathan converts the rebound 🎯#BRVLEI pic.twitter.com/GCXDgayZ5q
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 15, 2026
The major point for Leicester is to build a squad that is capable of winning promotion, but again to have these two as second or third choice could be happening. We just have to wait and see.
We hope Russell Martin will use a number of the younger players either in the team or as back up, and not sign players for that purpose, that hopefully will not happen.
The rules In EFL League One; Clubs are permitted to register a maximum of 22 players over the age of 21. This squad must include at least eight homegrown players, but goalkeepers and any players under the age of 21 do not count towards the 22-player limit.
This makes it possible to add a great number of players as Leicester at the moment have a very young group. Hopefully that will not eager Russell Martin to add players just for the numbers.
You need two solid goalkeepers, one certain first choice and a proper back up. In crisis you can call on a development player. We believe Jacub Stolarczyk is a proper goalkeeper at this level, Fran Vieites can be that back up. An addition of a new goalkeeper would have to replace one of the two others.
You need eight good defenders, two of them should be under the age of 21, not really in need for game time, but looking at every chance as a massive and special opportunity. One or two can be above the age of 30, the other four in between 22 and 29. At this point we have no clue who will stay or go with potential sales of Harry Souttar, Wout Faes, Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson more than possible. Olabade Aluka, Luke Thomas, Tom Wilson-Brown and Kevon Gray should be part of those eight men group.
In midfield the addition of Conor Chaplin will be important. Sadly then Will Alves will be playing second string, but you could decide to play Chaplin a bit deeper. Hamza Choudhury and Sammy Braybrooke in the holding position, or do the team need a different player in there. Bobby De Cordova-Reid can play in a number of positions, so he will stay. We believe Oliver Skipp will leave, being loaned out with an option to buy. Woyo Coulibaly is a bit of a wild card, he can play as a defender and at the wing.
Riley Carr looks very intersting, he will not fill any squad of 22, as his age and the fact that he is home grown would see him being a player who can be added anyway.
As it stands, at the moment, hopefull of Chaplin and Ings being signed.
Goalkeepers: Stolarczyk, Vieites Defenders: Coulibaly, Thomas, Wilson-Brown, Souttar, Faes, Okoli, Vestergaard, Nelson Midfield: Skipp, Alves, Braybrooke, Chaplin, Reid, Forwards: Mavididi, Ings, Opoku, Fatawu
Other Players Below Age in Contention: Carr, Evans, Hutchinson, Joseph, Aluko, Gray, Bausor, Page, Otchere, Neale
This is the status of the squad of players who have been part of pre-season so far, or players being under contract, as well as those who have moved on.
- Goalkeepers
- Fran Vieites
- Jacub Stolarczyk *
- Stevie Bausor * /
- Harry French * /
- Defenders
- Victor Kristiansen %
- Wout Faes
- Jannik Vestergaard ?
- Luke Thomas *
- Kevon Gray * /
- Caleb Okoli
- Ben Nelson *
- Woyo Coulibaly
- Olabade Aluko * /
- Harry Souttar * &
- Tom Wilson Brown * /
- Midfield
- Sammy Braybrooke *
- Will Alves * /
- Michael Golding * /
- Louis Page * /
- Harry Winks * %
- Oliver Skipp *
- Bobby De Cordova-Reid *
- Jayden Joseph * /
- Tommy Neale * /
- Hamza Choudhury *
- Forwards
- Jake Evans * /
- Kirsten Otchere * /
- Stephy Mavididi *
- Nathan Opoku
- Lorenz Hutchinson * /
- Riley Carr * /
- Silko Thomas * %
- Amani Richards * %
- Abdul Fatawu &
- Signs
- * Home Grown
- / U21
- % Sold
- & World Cup Player
- ? Contract Termination
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