Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran was absent from the matchday squad for our 4-1 win over West Ham Utd on Sunday, and there is a lack of clarity over the reason why.
The 19-year-old has made 11 appearances so far this season, scoring four goals, and he continues to be an important part of the squad to provide depth and cover behind Ollie Watkins up top.
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Given the importance and form of the Villa frontman, it’s clear why it’s been difficult for Duran to get more involvement, but he remains a vital option for Unai Emery moving forward and is a regular presence on the bench.
With that in mind, and with no mention of a possible injury concern ahead of the game on Sunday, it was unclear as to why Duran missed the game, and that has opened the door for speculation.
As per Noticias RCN in Colombia, they have suggested that there could be a ‘dispute’ emerging, with Duran perhaps unhappy with his lack of minutes so far this season.
They largely base their claim on his social media activity on Sunday, as he posted an Instagram story about Dennis Rodman, while appearing to wipe his account of anything Villa related.
We’ve seen this happen elsewhere and across different sports previously, and ultimately it doesn’t really mean much until there is confirmation from either side about what the real reason for his absence was.
With Emery set to speak to the media ahead of our Europa Conference League encounter with AZ Alkmaar this week, it’s hoped that the Villa boss clears up the matter and dismisses the talk of a potential problem with Duran, and also that there is no fresh injury issue that will sideline him.
Conversely, Colombian journalist Luis Ferpo has put forward the claim that Duran is indeed suffering from a groin injury as well as illness, and after missing two training sessions prior to the West Ham game, he was ultimately left out. He adds that his deleted posts are considered a ‘minor matter for the club’, but it’s unclear if this was done weeks ago.
As noted above, we’ll hopefully hear from Emery on Duran this week to clear up the matter, and at that point, we will also hopefully be able to rule out any issues over attitude or injury.