Aston Villa are reportedly set to receive a double injury boost as Bertrand Traore and Carney Chukwuemeka are in contention to face Southampton.
Villa host the Saints on Saturday afternoon looking to build on our win over Brighton last time out, and so we await to see whether or not Steven Gerrard opts to make changes to his starting line-up.
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While he has options and depth in key areas, it appears as though he’ll have more at his disposal this weekend as BirminghamLive report that Traore returned to group training on Tuesday as he looks to make his comeback from a hamstring injury, which has sidelined him since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of February.
The report adds that Gerrard will likely provide an update on Traore’s status in his press conference on Friday, while it’s also noted that Chukwuemeka is expected to be available on Saturday as well after he recovered from picking up a knock last week.
That in turn would leave Marvelous Nakamba as the only notable absentee in the squad as he deals with a long-term knee injury, and so Villa are certainly moving towards a fully-fit squad for the remainder of the Premier League season.
It’s an important period for Traore in particular, as although he has already slipped down the pecking order at Villa with the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey ahead of him, he will still be hoping to make an impact between now and the end of the campaign to prove his worth and secure a future under Gerrard.
As for Chukwuemeka, he is in a similar position in terms of trying to fight for a starting spot in the Villa XI, and so he’ll be a welcome option off the bench if Villa need to change things at the weekend.