Stay or leave Sevilla? Ex-CSKA Moscow star backs Iheanacho amid exit talks

Former CSKA Moscow winger, Chidera Ejuke, has backed his Sevilla and Super Eagles teammate, Kelechi Iheanacho, to turn things around at the club, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian duo joined the Spanish La Liga side last summer. While Ejuke has settled in nicely, even winning the club’s Player of the Month for September, Iheanacho has struggled on all fronts, struggling for minutes, and has been linked with a January exit.

Ejuke, who recently returned from a high-degree hamstring tear, revealed adaptation might be a struggle for players who switch clubs.

“When you get to a new place you have to get used to everything. In the style of football, you have to get used to your teammates, culture, the atmosphere, you have to get used to it, but I’m happy,” the former Hertha Berlin man said in an interview with el Correo.

Speaking about Kelechi Iheanacho’s poor form, Ejuke admitted the former Leicester City striker is low on confidence. Nonetheless, he backed his fellow Nigerian to shun exit talks and turn things around at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

“I wouldn’t say things aren’t going well for him. I think as a player you obviously need confidence and sometimes it doesn’t happen right away, but I think it’s all a matter of confidence and when you get the confidence you get going. For all players, it’s normal to go through this,” the 27-year-old added.

Ejuke has been out of action for the past 81 days after picking up a high-grade hamstring tear in Sevilla’s 5-1 loss to Barcelona back in October. He is working hard to regain full fitness after coming on for the final eight minutes of his side’s 2-1 win against Girona on Saturday.

“I am ready, I think, because of how I was injured this time, for this period, it’ll wear down little by little, but I feel good. As I said, I’m excited to be back now. I hope everything goes game after game and we’ll see how it goes.

“Injuries are part of the game. You never like it and wait and pray it doesn’t happen to you. When it happens you just want to be focused and recover properly and come back stronger to be yourself and play well to football helping the team. They’re part of the game,” Ejuke concluded.

Sevilla are currently 11th on the La Liga table, four points below the UEFA Europa League spots.