Aston Villa face Man Utd in the Premier League on Sunday, and there is an anxious wait to determine if Unai Emery faces further injury concerns for the encounter.
There was good news in midweek as Matty Cash returned to the matchday squad after his spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, and so the expectation is that he’ll be in contention to feature this weekend if needed.
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Neither Tyrone Mings nor Boubacar Kamara are likely to be involved, as Emery has previously confirmed that the plan is for the pair to play for the U21s over the international break to get some minutes and built their match fitness and sharpness, and so we’ll see them back in contention towards the end of the month. Villa skipper John McGinn is also currently sidelined for another two to three weeks.
However, there is concern that Villa might be short of two more key individuals against Man Utd, as Jacob Ramsey was forced off with a groin issue during our 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Villa ace was seen in discomfort before having to limp off after just 27 minutes, and his replacement, Leon Bailey, was then substituted off himself on the hour mark as Emery conceded after the game that the Jamaican international isn’t 100 percent fit himself as he was experiencing some pain this week.
In turn, it remains to be seen if Villa are left short of attacking options this weekend if neither of that duo are available, while there is also a doubt in midfield.
Amadou Onana was also replaced after an hour in midweek, with the 23-year-old seen stretching out his hamstring area from just before half-time onwards, as pointed out by the TNT Sports commentary team during the live broadcast.
Even if it’s a strain of some sort, it may well be something that Villa feel isn’t worth risking, and so time will tell if the Belgian midfielder is fit enough to start, or if he’ll be another potential absentee.
We’ll get all of our answers in Emery’s pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, but it’s certainly something worth monitoring going into the weekend.
Should either Onana or Ramsey be ruled out, that could open the door for Ross Barkley and Jaden Philogene to step in and fill those voids, while Jhon Duran will be another option if Emery is open to a tactical tweak to his set-up by going with two up top.
It shows Villa’s strength in depth this season as we do have versatility and competition, but ultimately it’s hoped that there’s good news on Friday that rules out any long-term injury setbacks, and hopefully we have as close to a fully-fit squad as possible for Sunday.
