Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has suggested that Boubacar Kamara will face a spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury against Crystal Palace.
The 23-year-old was forced off after 60 minutes following a foul from Cheick Doucoure, with replays showing that his ankle bent awkwardly under the force of the challenge.
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What sparked initial concern was Kamara’s immediate reaction as he instantly signalled for treatment from the bench, while he had to be carried off the pitch by the medical staff as he couldn’t put pressure on the injured leg.
Emery has offered a degree of clarity on the issue, along with his assistant, and while Kamara will undergo a scan tomorrow to determine the full extent of the problem, it does sound as though the Frenchman is set to be ruled out for a couple of weeks at least.
“I don’t know exactly,” Emery said, as quoted by BirminghamLive. “I don’t know. At the beginning, maybe it’ll be some weeks away. I don’t know exactly. I don’t know the name of it. It’s not the ankle.
“Today Leander Dendoncker wasn’t with us but, of course, hopefully he’s coming back quickly. As a midfielder, Calum Chambers he plays sometimes with me at Arsenal and he played at Fulham as a midfielder. I can use him in this position.
“I can use another player, maybe Ramsey or John McGinn or maybe another. They can adapt to play and to help us in this position. Hopefully, Bouba can return as soon as possible, Dendoncker as well.”
Villa assistant Damia Vidagany added: “It’s the joint between the two bones in the leg. It’s not a clear diagnosis. We will have the assessment tomorrow. It’s not the ankle or the Achilles.”
It’s a big blow for Villa not only in terms of what Kamara brings to the side with his quality and defensive solidity, but given our lack of reliable alternative options to deputise for him, it leaves a hole in our central midfield alongside Douglas Luiz.
While Chambers did a job on Saturday to help us see out the win, he’s surely not the best solution next weekend at West Ham, while Dendoncker hasn’t played a great deal since Emery arrived.
In turn, it could be that the best option is to shift McGinn inside next to Luiz, and perhaps deploy one of Emiliano Buendia or Leon Bailey out wide in his position on the right.
Villa do have various fixes to get around the setback in the short term, but it’s hoped that Kamara is able to return as soon as possible as we will miss his influence in his absence.
