Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho and their Leicester City teammates will be given permission to take part in the funeral of the club’s late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in Thailand.

The 60-year-old Leicester owner died on Saturday, October 27, along with four others, when his helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from the King Power Stadium after Leicester’s draw with West Ham.

His funeral will start on Saturday in Bangkok and, in keeping with Buddhist tradition, will last several days.

Leicester’s stars are due to return to action at Cardiff on Saturday in the Premier League, but Foxes manager Claude Puel admitted: “I want to give the opportunity for players and staff to go to the funeral.

“We will see the possibility and logistics. I don’t know about that for the moment.

“But of course all the players want to go and support his family, support his wife, his son Top, all the family in this awful moment. We shared this feeling and I was impressed by the strength and dignity of his wife and his son.

“I would like to thank them because they shared their sorrow with us like a family.”

Vichai’s surname, meaning “light of progressive glory” in Thai, had been bestowed on him by King Bhumibol, the former King of Thailand, in recognition of his corporate and social responsibility programmes and due to Srivaddhanaprabha’s status, the ceremony has been granted ‘Royal sponsorship’. This includes a Royal Bathing Rite for the body and a special eight-sided urn for his remains.

His body is expected to leave Leicester and be taken back to his native Thailand on Friday with his son Top accompanying the repatriation.

This means Leicester will not be back in action until Burnley’s visit on Saturday, November 10.