Forget Wilfred Ndidi's absence, Nigeria's biggest concern against Ghana is the defence

Last Thursday night, the Super Eagles preparations ahead of the 2022 World Cup playoff matches against Ghana suffered a major blow after Ndidi went off in Leicester City's UEFA Europa Conference League encounter against Rennes at Roazhon Park. 

The 25-year-old went off for James Maddison on the hour mark after coming off worse from a 50-50 challenge. 

Although at that time, it was still unclear why he went off, the sight of him walking off was not a pleasant one for Nigeria. 

And following the game, Nigeria's worst fears were realised when Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers revealed Ndidi had suffered a medial ligament injury and would be out for a few weeks. 

The news effectively ruled Ndidi out of Nigeria's massive showdown against Ghana on Friday and Tuesday. 

The two sides will battle it out in Kumasi and Abuja for a chance to represent Africa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year. 

Ndidi's absence is a big blow for Nigeria as he is an important player both on and off the pitch. 

His quality in the team is unmatched, and he is arguably the only player close to a world-class level in the Super Eagles squad. 

However, while Ndidi will be a big miss for Nigeria in the two games, the Super Eagles have a bigger issue to worry about, which is the defence.

Nigeria coach Austin Eguavoen has called up most of the players that went to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Only Leon Balogun, Shehu Abdullahi and Calvin Bassey are the defenders not in the AFCON squad, with the former two missing out due to injuries. 

With Egvuavoen sticking with most of the players that played at the AFCON, it is expected he would line up with the same defenders. 

At the AFCON, William Troost-Ekong partnered with Kenneth Omeruo in central defence, with Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi occupying the fullback roles. 

This is unlikely to change against Ghana, although Balogun could come in for Omeruo. 

However, there are concerns over the fitness of these defenders as none of them has played regular football in the last two months. 

Ekong, who is the leader at the back and vice-captain, has not played for Watford since January 1, although he also played for Nigeria at the AFCON during this period. 

But since his return from AFCON, the Nigerian defender has not played for the Hornets. 

He has failed to feature in Watford's last nine games, which is not ideal preparation for Nigeria's leading centre-back. 

Ekong's form has come under scrutiny in the last six months, making high profile errors at Watford, eventually costing him his place in the team.  

And it's important to note that the 28-year-old is in a Watford squad, who are currently embroiled in a relegation battle. 

Ekong's defensive partner at the AFCON, Omeruo, is also in a similar situation. 

The ex-Middlesbrough defender has not played for Leganes since February 22. 

Omeruo has missed Leganes' last four games due to an injury and a yellow card suspension. 

Although he was on the bench in the 1-1 draw against Sporting Gijon, Omeruo will come into the game against Ghana with no game time since February 11. 

Aina, who played right-back at the AFCON, also has the same experience. 

The ex-Chelsea defender has not played for Torino since he returned from the showpiece in Cameroon. 

He has been on the bench six times while he failed to make the matchday squad on one occasion. 

Only Zaidu Sanusi has enjoyed a regular run of game time since he returned to his club. 

Since his return, Sanusi has played in all of Porto's games, playing the full 90 minutes on four occasions. 

But even Sanusi has not managed to escape criticism, with his positional awareness called into question in a few games. 

Considering all these issues, the defence will be Eguavoen's biggest issue going into the two games against Ghana. 

Nigeria will likely lineup with four at the back, but three of the defenders have not played football in over a month. 

This is not the best preparation for a game with high stakes. And with Ndidi not available to protect the defence, it makes Eguavoen's job more difficult. 

Although he could bring in Balogun and Bassey, it is very unlikely as Bassey has not played for Nigeria before, while Balogun's fitness is also questionable. 

And considering the game will be a physical battle, Eguavoen is more likely to stick with the players he knows well. 

Nonetheless, irrespective of who plays at the back, the defence will always be a suspect going into the two games.