As they attempt to get their pursuit of Champions League qualification back on track, Aston Villa could welcome the return of Leon Bailey and one other star man against Chelsea this weekend.
Aston Villa injury news
With the fixtures coming thick and fast, any positive injury news is an instant boost for the Villans, who just had their Champions League fate confirmed in the middle of a season which still has plenty of promise. Earning their place in the last 16, Unai Emery‘s side will now square off against Club Brugge in what they should see as an undeniable chance to reach the final eight.
There will of course already be those in dreamland at Villa Park plotting a shock route to the Champions League final, and they have every right to imagine that dream. Emery’s side will have their feet firmly fixed on the ground, however, and will be looking ahead of Chelsea and Chelsea only.
Victory against the Blues would be coming at a crucial time – taking the Villans within a point of their London opponents and potentially within two of the top four – making recent injury news all the more positive.
As confirmed by Emery, Aston Villa could welcome the return of both Ezri Konsa and Bailey against Chelsea after both players missed his side’s last two games.
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The Spaniard told reporters when asked about Konsa: “We are going to train later. He did the composition work with the players. I will test him and in case he is feeling good he will be in the squad.”
Then confirming Bailey’s potential return, Emery said: “Leon Bailey trained yesterday and it’s the same like Konsa. In case he trains normally he will be available in the squad.”
“Confident” Konsa returning at a key time
With Axel Disasi unable to play against his parent club Chelsea this weekend and Pau Torres also still sidelined, Konsa’s potential return couldn’t be coming at a better time for Aston Villa. The Villans may have avoided the need to form a makeshift centre-back partnership and can instead roll back the years ever so slightly by turning to Tyrone Mings and Konsa together.
Konsa’s ability to fill in at right-back will also be an added boost for those at Villa Park as it has been for England in the past. Full of praise for the defender’s versatility last summer, former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate told reporters: “We weren’t intending to move him quite as much.
“We took Lewis [Dunk] off as a precaution and the best way was to put Ezri at centre-half, which I think is his strongest position anyway. That’s his third cap, he’s done very well in all three.
“That adaptability is helpful to us. He’s playing in a team that have had an extremely good season and he’s been a big part of that. He looks very confident in an England shirt.”
