Sevilla coach García Pimienta has revealed the reasons behind Kelechi Iheanacho's difficulties in adapting to his new environment after making a switch from Leicester City to La Liga during the summer.
Despite the 28-year-old's pedigree, his current position in the team remains precarious, with Isaac Romero favoured over him, even though the Spanish forward is practically not scoring goals either.
In recent La Liga fixtures, Iheanacho has not made an appearance, sitting on the bench for three consecutive matches against Real Betis, Barcelona, and Espanyol.
Initially brought in to replace Youssef En-Nesyri, who moved to Fenerbahce, but then Iheanacho's performances have not met the club's expectations.
Why Kelechi Iheanacho is struggling to fit in at Sevilla
According to Pimienta, the late arrival of Iheanacho at Sevilla hindered his integration due to missing a significant portion of pre-season training.
The coach pointed out that while the Nigeria international is training diligently, his lack of familiarity with the team's concepts has made it challenging for him to fit in.
The Sevilla boss, who was quoted via Estadio Deportivo while speaking on La Jugada de Canal Sur Radio, also emphasised that after nearly two months of training together, it is no surprise that Iheanacho finds himself struggling to adapt.
“The boy is training very well. I know it seems like excuses, but he didn't do the pre-season with the team,” he said.
“The team already had our concepts; we have been training together for almost two months. He didn't do the preseason; it was hard for him to adapt.
“He has a player in front of him, Isaac, who is clear about it, who gives us a lot of things, and who is doing very well,” the coach said.
However, the coach remained optimistic, believing that Iheanacho will eventually find his rhythm and earn opportunities on the pitch.
