Crucial injury boost as Villa ace closes in on return from setback

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash is set to provide Unai Emery with a timely boost as he has suggested that he’s closing in on a return from his hamstring injury.

The 26-year-old sustained the issue during the last international break while representing Poland, and has subsequently missed our last three Premier League games.

READ MORE: Emery searches for fix as Villa vulnerability laid bare in chaotic draw

Following his return to the club for further assessment and treatment last month, Emery put his recovery timeline at around two to three weeks, and that appears set to hold up based on the latest insight.

Cash has made 40 appearances across all competitions so far this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists to go with his defensive work, and so he has undoubtedly proven to be an important option for Emery.

Having provided a positive update on social media, as seen below, it will come as a significant boost for the Villa boss, as the Polish international hinted that he’s closing in on a comeback as he continues to work in the gym.

Villa face Lille in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals on Thursday night, but that is likely to come too soon for Cash given that we’ve not had any indication that he’s back in group training as of yet.

In turn, it remains to be seen if our trip to Arsenal is a realistic target for him, or if it’s more likely that we’ll see him return to the pitch against Lille in the second leg or at home against Bournemouth on April 21.

Whenever he does return, he will be an important factor in our remaining games, as although Ezri Konsa has done a commendable job filling in at right-back in his absence, it’s not his natural position and that vulnerability has been exposed as Villa have conceded seven goals in our last two league outings.

Having Cash back will not only bring balance to the backline again along with his attacking attributes, but it will allow Konsa to shift back into a centre-half partnership with Pau Torres, and that will hopefully help us become a more difficult side to break down again.

At this stage of the season, with so much on the line for Villa both in terms of Champions League qualification and advancing in Europe, getting Cash and any other key player back from injury will be vital.

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