Aston Villa talisman Ollie Watkins withdrew from England duty, due to a minor knee injury, but he was fit enough to feature in the win over Tottenham this past weekend. We expect him to be able to start and go the full 90 minutes on Thursday night at Go Ahead Eagles. It remains to be seen whether or not Tyrone Mings can, as his ankle injury means he’ll need to pass a late fitness test.
Meanwhile major midfielder Youri Tielemans (calf) is likely to be sidelined until late November.
UEFA Europa League Matchday 3 FYIs
Kickoff: Thurs. Oct. 23, 5:45pm, De Adelaarshorst Go Ahead, Deventer, Netherlands
Aston Villa Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Aston Villa Team News
He hasn’t even resumed full training yet. Then you have the case of right-back Andres Garcia. He’s yet to make his first appearance of the season, do to his mysterious injury that the club rarely ever issues any updates of. So we just don’t know how his recovery has been progressing along.
Overall, Villa have been becoming a much more fit and healthy side. They welcomed three players back from injury after the October internationals, so that’s why this team news article is so short.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter