Aston Villa’s Defensive Injury Issues
Aston Villa will be without Matty Cash for the foreseeable future after Unai Emery confirmed that the full-back faces three to four weeks on the sidelines ahead of Villa’s Premier League trip to Molineux to face Wolves. Cash’s absence is a significant blow, given the existing injuries the backline has faced, and Emery will now have to reshuffle his options on the right side of his backline.
Emery provided an update on the Polish international’s condition, stating, “Matty Cash is not available. He’s going to be, more or less, three to four weeks out.”
The timeframe means Villa could be without Cash for a crucial run of Premier League and FA Cup fixtures, and it will be interesting to see if Emery considers new signing Andrés García match ready or if he’ll look to Lamare Bogarde to cover Cash.
While Cash is a confirmed absentee, Tyrone Mings remains sidelined for a little longer as he recovers from a minor issue. There had been some optimism that Mings could return soon, but Emery admitted the defender still needs more time before he is ready for action.
“Tyrone Mings has a small injury, not really bad, but I think he will need some more days to be ready to play,” said Emery, suggesting he potentially could be back next weekend.
With Pau Torres already out, Villa’s defensive options remain stretched, meaning Boubacar Kamara could potentially fill in again at centre-back, as he did in the Champions League against Celtic.
Ross Barkley Injury Update
Meanwhile, Ross Barkley’s return to the pitch is edging closer, but the midfielder is still going through individual recovery work before rejoining team training. Emery suggested that Barkley could be available in February, though he remains a doubt for the immediate run of games.
“Ross Barkley still has work to do individually before he can join us, for the next days or maybe a week, and to be ready to play, but not yet,” explained the Villa boss.
You would hope that all three players will be fit and ready for Aston Villa’s Champions League last-16 game, a benefit of finishing in the top eight and not having to navigate a play-off round with a depleted squad.
UTV
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