Jack Grealish is looking very likely to miss Aston Villa’s home clash with Stoke City this weekend and it’s still uncertain whether he’ll be fit enough for the Leeds United match before Christmas.
Grealish had gone off injured at the Hawthorns, but there had been an air of uncertainty over how serious it was. After the game, Dean Smith had offered up the midfielder hadn’t been 100% in recent weeks.
“He’s struggling for Saturday, he’s got a shin injury,” said Smith, in his pre-Stoke presser..
When you’re the most fouled player in the Championship, it’s enviable that you’ll pick up an injury or two throughout the season, and according to Villa’s Head Coach, such rough treatment from opposition players has finally caught up with Grealish.
“It doesn’t help being the most kicked player in the league, from pillar to post, and for some teams it’s finally worked! ” Added Smith.
“It’s one we’ll have to assess and make sure he’s right, because I don’t want to risk anything.”
Reading between the lines, it seems that Smith hasn’t given up on Grealish playing against Stoke, which suggests this is not the long-term injury, that the usual attention-seeking social media accounts were suggesting it would be.
“We’ll give him as much time as he needs to get back. He’ll have another test tomorrow and hopefully he’ll be available for the Christmas period.”
While Villa with the array of attacking midfield talent they have, wouldn’t necessarily miss Grealish for the short-term, with the likes of Bjarnason, Lansbury, Adomah and Jedinak, still on the sidelines, Villa’s midfield options are starting to thin out a little.
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id like to see doyle hayes given a chance.
time for O’Hare to make his mark