For Leicester City supporters, this is becoming less about one selection and more about what that selection says. Nathan Opoku has done enough in recent months to look like a player worthy of senior consideration, yet Russell Martin has still left him outside the main picture, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid chosen ahead of him and fans left asking why number 42 keeps getting pushed aside.
The frustration is easy to understand. Opoku, a 25-year-old striker, impressed on loan at Newport County last season and returned having strengthened his case rather than weakened it. He scored six goals in 32 League Two appearances for Newport County and had already shown form in pre-season, including at King Power Stadium and in friendlies. In other words, this was not a player asking for a favour; it was a player who had built a genuine argument for minutes.
Instead, he has been kept out of Russell Martin's senior plans at this point in the League One campaign and is currently with the LCFC Under-21s while still belonging to the Leicester City squad. That is the part fans are reacting to most. Filbert Way's response was blunt: baffled, shocked and disappointed. Another message suggested the club had forgotten, ignored or overlooked his number 42, while others simply called the situation shocking and told Opoku to stay strong because he deserves better.
On the football side, the debate is not really about sentiment. Leicester City have three primary striker options, and that means selection decisions are always going to leave someone unhappy. But Opoku's case is stronger than most because he has done the basic things a fringe forward is supposed to do: perform on loan, carry that form into pre-season and show he can be part of the conversation. Last year he also signed a new contract with Leicester City, which only makes the current omission feel more pointed.
The weekend's draw against Notts County did not settle anything on its own, but it did add to the noise around the choice. When a team is searching for the right attacking balance, fans tend to notice when a striker who has offered evidence is left waiting. That is especially true when the alternative is a senior option like Bobby De Cordova-Reid, because the decision stops being just about fitness or depth and becomes about trust.
None of this proves Opoku will be left out for good, and it certainly does not mean Russell Martin has made a final judgment on him. But it does show where the pressure is coming from. Supporters have seen a player score five goals in 27 appearances overall, produce six in 32 League Two outings on loan, and look sharp in the summer, so they are not reacting to thin air. They are reacting to a pattern that suggests Leicester may be underusing a forward who has already earned a closer look.
For now, the message from the stands is clear: Nathan Opoku may still be in the Leicester City system, but many fans do not think he is being treated like someone who belongs there.
