The FA Cup quarterfinals will be here before you know it! Aston Villa FC travels to Deepdale, to take on Preston North End, and it’s safe to say that they got the most favorable draw possible for this round. Another thing going in the Villans favor is fitness. We only have three injury updates to go over (because that’s what we do on international breaks!). The trio that we’ll cover on this Wednesday is Ollie Watkins, Ross Barkley and Kortney Hause.
Ollie Watkins
The star striker has just 11 days to get ready for the FA Cup knockout match. At this point, it sounds like his featuring is a 50/50 proposition.
“He told us to change him because he wasn’t feeling good,” Villa manager Unai Emery said of Watkins’ knee injury a week ago
“I don’t exactly know his injury, but I think it is small…”
Ross Barkley
The well-traveled veteran midfielder, like Ollie Watkins, could be in the mix for the cup tie, but he’ll need to be re-assessed. Barkley is dealing with a calf problem.
Kortney Hause
Definitely a squad player at best, so his absence doesn’t have a real impact on the side, but he’s still on the mend. Hause is recovering from a knee injury, and his timeline for return is unknown.
International Break Injury Updates
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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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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.