Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has revealed that Jhon Duran could be out for around two months with a hamstring injury.
The 20-year-old has played a limited role so far this season having made 23 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing one assist.
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Having featured for just 662 minutes of play, he has acted as depth behind Ollie Watkins, and has been an important option to have in order to either rest our first-choice striker, or pair them together to provide a different attacking dynamic.
Speculation over his future has been rife over the past month, but not only does an exit look highly unlikely now, Villa will also have to do without the Colombian international for the next two months due to a hamstring injury.
“Our idea is first, we have Jhon Duran but he is injured,” Emery said, as per The Express and Star. “I don’t know how long it is going to be. It is going to be six to eight weeks, previously. He is going to be available maybe when we play again in the Conference League or in the last two months of the season.”
Villa resume our Europa Conference League campaign in March, but with potentially eight games across the Premier League and FA Cup before then, it’s a disappointing setback as it would have been crucial to have Duran as an option off the bench, not only to have that additional attacking weapon but to be able to rest Watkins when needed.
Nevertheless, the situation is what it is, and Emery went on to discuss Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italian ace likely to play a more prominent role as he has the ability and experience of playing up top as the main frontman.
It’s been a difficult season for him thus far as he’s managed just two goals and no assists in 24 appearances, but hopefully with Emery set to show more faith in him and lean on him to rotate with Watkins, he’ll step up and deliver when called upon.
“When we signed him, his capacity to play as a second striker or even the main striker, we were thinking of that in case of a problem like now,” Emery added on Zaniolo. “We are practicing with him as a striker, in case Watkins has some problems.
“During the period without Duran, we can play with him. We can also play without really one striker properly, like Moussa Diaby or Leon Bailey.
“We prefer to keep the decision we are taking in not signing a striker, because it is difficult.
“Zaniolo, his first part of the season, was not being consistent. I had a conversation with him last week and as well before. He had some circumstances when he arrived here.
“There were individual issues as well which meant he was not focusing 100 per cent but now I think, hopefully, after my conversation, he can help us like I want.”
Villa have lacked creative quality and a clinical edge to our play in recent weeks, and that led to consecutive goalless draws against Everton and Chelsea in the Premier League and FA Cup respectively.
The hope will be that Zaniolo can give us a jolt when needed if he’s now further up the pecking order and set to lead the line at times, while it remains to be seen when Duran is fit enough to return.
Watkins will continue to spearhead our attack, and it’s hoped that he can stay healthy and injury-free to do that from now until the end of the season, with Zaniolo proving to be an able alternative.