Amid our injury woes in defence, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has seen a trio of players step up and deliver when needed for the team over the past fortnight or so.
With Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Amadou Onana all suffering injury setbacks in recent weeks, coupled with Ezri Konsa adding to the list this past weekend, we’ve been left extremely short-handed in defensive positions over our past few games.
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Loan signing Axel Disasi was unavailable for our win over Tottenham in the FA Cup on Sunday evening due to being cup-tied, and so once again, Emery looked to others in the squad to provide solutions and make sacrifices for the team.
Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde and Andres Garcia have stepped up in less than ideal circumstances, and while we haven’t been perfect defensively, they’ve performed at a high level to fill those voids and give us the best possible chance of winning games consistently.
Whether it’s Kamara operating as a makeshift centre-half and emerging as our leading figure in the backline to organise and instil discipline, to Garcia being hurried into the starting line-up after his arrival last month, when the Spaniard could perhaps have benefited from being gradually integrated as he continues to adapt to both the demands of Emery and English football.
Then there’s Bogarde, with the versatile Dutchman covering in a defensive midfield role, as a right-back and as a centre-half over the course of our last handful of games against the likes of Arsenal, Celtic and Spurs, and all at the age of 21 with a lack of experience at this level.
Admittedly, we have looked vulnerable at times and have been caught out as we’ve continued to leak goals, but the burden and responsibility put on their shoulders was huge given the individuals we’ve been without and their influence on our play in both phases of the game.
It’s hoped that relief is on the way in the form of Disasi starting against Ipswich Town this weekend, while Mings is seemingly the closest to making a comeback having been spotted in training last week working with the rest of the group to an extent on the grass.
That will hopefully give us a commanding presence in the heart of our defence again with players in their natural positions, and further, allow Kamara in particular to go back to having his usual brilliant influence in midfield where we’ve missed him.
Garcia’s adaptation will have to continue on the job if both Cash and Konsa remain sidelined, but having been shown faith by Emery and Villa not only in signing him from the second tier of Spanish football last month but to clear a path for him to become involved this season, the 22-year-old is showing really positive signs already, and he’ll hopefully go from strength to strength along with the rest of the squad.
