Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has confirmed a double injury boost as he prepares for his first game in charge on Sunday against Man Utd.
The 51-year-old held his first press conference on Friday after overseeing training this week, and amongst other key topics, he provided the latest injury news on his squad.
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Naturally, he would have hoped for a fully fit squad at his disposal to give him the best possible opportunity to secure a positive result this weekend, and while we’re not quite there yet with Diego Carlos still sidelined, Emery will have depth in various positions as he looks to assess and learn about his new squad.
Importantly and rather timely though, is the availability of Boubacar Kamara who is now back in contention after recovering from a knee injury, as is Ludwig Augustinsson after his stint on the sidelines too with a hamstring issue.
“Our big injury is Diego Carlos,” Emery said, as per BirminghamLive. “I think it is a very good recruitment the club made but he’s injured. My players have been doing training sessions this week. Ludwig Augustinsson and Boubacar Kamara, I think they will be close to playing but I don’t know exactly the first XI to start the match.”
Given how influential Kamara was prior to his setback in both phases of the game, having him back in midfield before the break for the World Cup will be a huge boost for Villa, while Augustinsson adds more depth and competition at left-back with Lucas Digne looking to displace Ashley Young and get his spot in the side back too.
It gives Emery a chance to take a closer look at all concerned both in training and potentially in the match, as he looks to decipher who fits his ideas and style of play best to ensure that we start to pick up positive results and climb the Premier League table.
There is also real intrigue over what system Emery will use, as that will naturally have a knock-on effect in terms of what personnel is involved. While it’s also likely that he has started with a clean slate and opened the door for those who were perhaps struggling for minutes before his arrival, time will tell who has impressed him in training at Bodymoor Heath this week.