Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has revealed that neither Douglas Luiz nor Morgan Sanson will be fit to face Brighton on Saturday.
The new Villa Head Coach takes charge of his first game this weekend, and he would undoubtedly have hoped to have a fully-fit squad at his disposal and to have had a good look at all the players this week in training.
READ MORE: How Villa could line up vs Brighton in Gerrard’s first game in charge
Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out that way, with Gerrard providing an update on team news during his press conference on Thursday.
“I think it’ll be too soon for Douglas Luiz and for Morgan Sanson,” Gerrard said, as per Birmingham Mail. “Trezeguet is off the back of a long term injury but we are trying to integrate him into team sessions now which is positive.
“The rest are good to go and I’m really looking forward to picking that first XI, that first squad. Straightaway there are tough decisions for me to face but I’m really looking forward to doing it.”
Time will tell how long that pair are ruled out for, but it does give Gerrard a selection headache in the more immediate future as that leaves him short of options in midfield.
The expectation is that John McGinn, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey will get the nod against Brighton, should Gerrard go with a midfield three, but Villa will no doubt hope to get Luiz and Sanson back and available as soon as possible.
Off the back of an international break, it’s positive to hear that Villa have no fresh injury concerns to deal with, and so with the squad back together now, it’s hoped Gerrard has had enough time to get his ideas and philosophy across to the players to ensure we get a positive result on Saturday afternoon.
