Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey could reportedly be sidelined for around six weeks after suffering a recurrence of his foot injury.
The 22-year-old sustained a broken metatarsal over the summer while on England U21s duty, and subsequently missed the start of the season for Villa.
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Having made his comeback last month as he featured off the bench against Legia Warsaw, Chelsea and Brighton, scoring his first goal of the campaign in a 6-1 win over the Seagulls last weekend, it had appeared that Ramsey was building his way back to peak fitness and form.
However, Villa boss Unai Emery confirmed his injury setback this week after he was absent against Zrinjski, with multiple reports suggesting that it was a recurrence of the foot injury he recently recovered from.
“For Sunday, no, they [Ramsey and Alex Moreno] are not going to be available,” he told the media, as per VillaTV. “Jacob Ramsey will need time again to recover his injury. He has an injury and he’s not going to be available.”
As per the Telegraph’s Matt Law, the setback isn’t as significant as the initial injury that Ramsey suffered in the summer which ruled him out for around three months, as he adds that there have been suggestions he will be out for around six weeks.
With the international break to follow our trip to Wolves this weekend, that will hopefully give Ramsey time to receive treatment and recover without missing game time, but if that touted timeline holds up, he will likely miss encounters against West Ham Utd, AZ Alkmaar (A), Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, AZ Alkmaar (H), Fulham and Tottenham.
The hope will be that he can return towards the end of November for our crucial run in to Christmas, provided that he doesn’t suffer any further setbacks, while Villa will undoubtedly avoid any risks and won’t rush him back.
Given what he brings to the side with his quality in the attacking third coupled with his energy and work ethic from a defensive perspective, it’s a disappointing blow to now be without Ramsey again for a significant period. Nevertheless, Emery will feel he has enough to cope in his absence with Nicolo Zaniolo taking up a key role already after his summer arrival, and we’ll be handed an important boost going into the festive period when Ramsey returns.