jordan ayew remains part of the attacking discussion at Leicester City as Gary Rowett looks for answers to the club’s shortage of a natural target man. On Friday, Rowett said he is prepared to use “unconventional” methods after Jannik Vestergaard was pushed up front against Preston in Leicester’s latest outing in Eastern Time terms on Friday afternoon. The manager wants more ways to win games, and the striker plan is now part of that search.
Vestergaard pushed forward as Leicester chase goals
Vestergaard made his first Leicester City appearance in more than two months after returning from a hernia operation, and he was used as a striker rather than in his usual centre-back role. Rowett said Leicester are lacking “that type of striker” when opponents sit deep and aerial presence becomes important. He added that Vestergaard could provide something different for “10 or 15 minutes” at the end of a game if needed.
The move was shaped by squad balance as much as by necessity. Rowett said Leicester have Caleb Okoli, Jamaal Lascelles and Ben Nelson available at centre-back, which makes it easier to consider Vestergaard in a forward role from the bench. He also made clear that only Patson Daka or jordan ayew are being considered to start up front, while the rest of the attacking options are being assessed in training.
What Rowett said after the Preston game
Rowett defended the wider performance after Leicester’s latest frustrating result. He said he believed “for 95 per cent of it, it was really good, ” while also pointing to two “silly goals” that hurt the team’s chances. He described Preston as a “well-drilled, good outfit” and said Leicester should have won the game, even as the final outcome left them with more questions than answers.
His comments underline how narrow the margins have become for a side trying to stay on track. The manager said he must look at “every single angle” if Leicester are to find a solution, and he framed the Vestergaard experiment as one possible route rather than a permanent reworking of the squad. In that sense, jordan ayew stays central to the team’s attacking structure even as Rowett searches for alternatives around him.
Why the Jordan Ayew question still matters
Leicester’s issue is not just selection, but profile. Rowett’s remarks show that he believes the squad lacks a forward who can offer the aerial presence needed when games turn physical and defences drop deep. That is why Vestergaard’s name has moved from the back line into the attacking discussion, and why jordan ayew remains one of the few players clearly in the frame to lead the line.
Vestergaard already has three goals this season and has shown a scoring instinct, including a late equaliser at Wrexham in January. He is also joint-fifth for non-penalty goals at Leicester this season, level with jordan ayew, which helps explain why Rowett sees the experiment as more than a one-off gamble.
What happens next
Rowett has now tied Leicester’s short-term survival push to flexibility, not convention. The next team selections will show whether Vestergaard is used again as a striker option, whether Patson Daka or jordan ayew gets the nod to start, and how far the manager is willing to lean into this unusual fix. For Leicester, the answer may determine whether an emergency idea becomes a recurring feature in the weeks ahead.
