Aston Villa boss Unai Emery confirmed that Ollie Watkins picked up a small injury in the first half of our 3-2 win over RB Leipzig.
The Villa frontman was replaced at half-time by Jhon Duran, and that led to concern over whether or not he had picked up a problem, as he looked to have hurt himself while stretching in trying to convert a big chance late in the opening half.
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Although Emery didn’t give much away as further tests will perhaps be needed to give a more accurate diagnosis of what Watkins has suffered, the Villa boss did confirm that he was taken off due to an injury issue.
“The idea when we prepare the game the plan is also for the subs to help if we needed it,” he told Amazon Prime, as per BBC Sport. “Watkins had a small injury and Duran scores. Buendia and Barkley scoring the third goal. This is what any coach would want.”
It’s hoped that the move was more precautionary than anything else, but ultimately we’ll likely have to wait until the Villa boss sits down with the media for his pre-match press conference ahead of our trip to Nottingham Forest this weekend to get a definitive answer on the situation.
While Duran did come on and have an important impact on the game, as he has done so often so far this season, Watkins remains a fundamental figure in leading the Villa line.
That was shown with his assist for our opener against RB Leipzig which was converted by John McGinn, while his movement and running caused the Bundesliga side problems throughout the opening 45 minutes.
With seven goals and five assists in 21 appearances across all competitions so far this season, Villa don’t want to be without the 28-year-old for any period of time, and so it’s hoped that we receive a positive update later this week, and in turn confirmation that he’s available this weekend.
