Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has provided an injury update on Tyrone Mings after his setback in our 1-1 draw with West Ham Utd.
The 31-year-old sustained the issue in the latter stages of the first half and required treatment for a few minutes before deciding that he could potentially continue.
READ MORE: What Unai Emery said in assessment of Villa’s draw vs West Ham
However, it didn’t last long as he was eventually replaced in the 38th minute, and based on his reaction as he made his way off the pitch and straight down the tunnel, the early signs certainly weren’t encouraging.
The Villa centre-half made his way back out to the bench for the second half in a more positive sign, but his absence on the pitch was a massive blow as we struggled from that point on and eventually had to settle for a point apiece.
Speaking after the game, Emery was able to provide an update on Mings, but ultimately further tests will be carried out on Monday to determine the severity of the injury blow, and subsequently what the recovery timeline is going to look like.
“I don’t know sadly but hopefully not a lot,” he initially said, as per BBC Sport. “Pau is injured, we are trying to get another centre-back after Diego Carlos left. I don’t know. Tomorrow we will test him and hopefully, it is not a lot. Things like that are punishing us.”
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Emery added: “After the first test we did, I think it is not a relevant injury for a long time,” he told reporters, according to BirminghamLive. “Tomorrow we will test again and better. We will know how important his injury is. We are positive.”Â
It’s potentially a significant setback for Villa if Mings is forced to miss a number of games, as we’re already without Pau Torres after he sustained a broken metatarsal at the end of December.
That’s both left-sided centre-halves in our squad now struggling with injuries, and while Emery opted to go with Lucas Digne shifting inside to cover the void, that surely can’t be seen as a long-term solution.
It’s expected to be a busy end to the January transfer window for Villa, and with Diego Carlos moving on this week, a new centre-back was high on the priority list anyway.
Mings’ setback will only speed that process up and make it a more pressing need, and while it’s hoped that he gets a positive outcome from additional tests this week, Villa must make a move in the transfer market to address the concern.
