Ivan Ilić injury leaves Lecce facing Udinese without a confirmed return date

Ivan Ilić is expected to miss Lecce’s trip to Udinese after an MRI found a lesion in the rectus femoris of his left thigh. The club confirmed the diagnosis but did not state how severe the injury is or set a return date.

Calciomercato reported that recovery is expected to take at least two weeks, with a longer absence possible if the lesion is more serious. That estimate would rule Ilić out of Sunday’s match on 18 October. The length of his spell out remains uncertain because the grade of the lesion has not been disclosed.

Ilić came off in the 36th minute of Lecce’s defeat by Bologna. Calcio Lecce reported that he went down after a long pass, while Tuttomercatoweb said his injury forced coach Eusebio Di Francesco to make a substitution. Lecce later confirmed that the midfielder had undergone an MRI.

The timing gives Lecce little opportunity to have him back for the next fixture. The Bologna defeat was followed by a medical update that offers no basis for expecting Ilić to feature at Udinese. His injury also leaves the club without a confirmed date for when he could return beyond the initial recovery estimate.

Ilić has made one league appearance this season, with no goals or assists. He is owned by Torino, according to Calcio Lecce. His limited league involvement so far means there is no basis for assigning him a major statistical role in Lecce’s campaign, but the immediate issue is availability: the club must prepare for Udinese without him.

Lecce sit 13th after six matches, with six points from two wins and four defeats and a goal difference of minus six. Sunday’s trip is their next chance to respond to the Bologna loss. Ilić’s injury leaves that task ahead without him, while the club waits for more clarity on the severity of the thigh lesion.