In the latest injury set-back to rock the club, Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos is reported to have sustained a hamstring injury at Bodymoor Heath.
This news is another hammer blow, not least for a player who has yet to establish himself after a long layoff following a serious achilles injury, but as the club attempts to navigate a period with increasing numbers of senior players absent.
Embed from Getty ImagesLittle has yet been reported as to the severity of the injury, with Villa awaiting medical assessment in the coming days to establish both the extent and length of Carlos’ potential layoff.
The timing couldn’t be worse defensively, with Tyrone Mings only part-way through his recuperation from a season-ending knee injury and Ezri Konsa out for at least a calendar month. Worryingly limited information has been revealed on Konsa’s injury to date, indicating the that worse news might be yet to come.
For supporters, this only serves to compound worsening injury woes, with Emi Buendia also ruled out for the campaign following a pre-season mis-hap and Boubacar Kamara suffering an ACL in the defeat to Manchester United last time out. This follows Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne being unavailable for chunks of the campaign too. Villa’s league progress is remarkable considering.
This poses Unai Emery a genuine predicament, with proven defensive reinforcements at centre-half thin on the ground in B6. Lenglet, a Barcelona loanee preferred only sparingly in the early part of the season, has become an uneasy regular in the eleven. Callum Chambers may now find himself brought in from the cold having been close to exiting the club at the end of the January transfer window. It’s far from ideal.
Much now rests upon how truly fit Pau Torres is after returning to full training just last week after struggling to shake off a troublesome recurring ankle injury. Match sharp, Torres has already shown his qualities, but, we don’t want to enter the realms of fielding players before they are totally recovered from injuries that can linger and worsen if not properly addressed. Does anyone have Kortney Hause’s telephone number?