It still seems very strange, even though the January transfer window ended months ago, to think of Marcus Rashford as an Aston Villa player. It just doesn’t sound right, but hey it is what it is. It doesn’t sound like Rashford is going to available though, for Villa’s run-in, due to a hamstring injury.
While Ollie Watkins will obviously lead the line in the meantime, this is still a massive loss for the stretch run, and a blow to their pursuit of UEFA Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa vs Fulham FC FYIs
Kick-off time: 12:30PM GMT, Saturday May 3, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Form Guide Premier League: Aston Villa WWWWL Fulham FC LWLLW
Premier League Position: Aston Villa 57 pts, 7th Fulham FC 8th, 51 pts
AVFC Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Aston Villa Team News vs Fulham
“He is injured,” Villa manager Unai Emery said this past weekend. “He got injured this week, and yesterday, we did a test. It is his hamstring. We are going to test him each match to see how he is progressing. Probably some weeks that he cannot be available.”
Other than that, Villa have a fully fit squad, so at least there is some good news there.
Rashford is the only fitness concern.
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