Aston Villa head into the weekend just four points out of first place, so they are very much Premier League title contenders, full stop. You can stop debating if the Villans are in the race or not; they are. However, they do have a pretty long injury/fitness concern list. It is extensive enough that it needs to be broken up into two articles. We’ll talk the two touch-and-go guys, Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley here.
In the next piece, we’ll go over the more longer-term injury absentees: Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Andres Garcia and Alysson.
Aston Villa vs Brentford FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Feb 1, 2pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Aston Villa Preview Material: Team News Latest Injury Updates
Result Probability via Google: Aston Villa 46% Draw 27% Brentford 27%
Premier League Form, Standings: Aston Villa LWDLW, 3rd, 46 pts Brentford DWWLL, 8th, 33 pts
Aston Villa Team News
Let’s start with the talisman, Ollie Watkins, he was forced off in the first half of the UEFA Europa League win over Red Bull Salzburg yesterday. Apparently, he might seem to have some kind of a hamstring problem. However, it’s not too serious.
“Watkins, we will see tomorrow,” Villa manager Unai Emery said on Friday. “Today he had a scan, and it’s not a clear injury… He was tired yesterday, and the scan is not giving us bad information.”
So consider him a doubt for Sunday. With Barkley meanwhile, his return may finally be here. The knee injury that has kept him out for awhile, with the goalposts continuing to be moved back on his return timeline…well, it sounds promising.
Said Emery: “Ross is coming back, training with us. Today, normal training with the group, and maybe we can include him in the squad.”
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.