Aston Villa are currently sweating over Ollie Watkins’ fitness after the striker was forced off during the first half against Ajax.
The 28-year-old sustained an impact injury just before he found the back of the net with a beautiful glancing header.
After the fixture, Villa captain John McGinn admitted he was concerned about the Englishman’s fitness.
Talking to TNT Sports, he said: “A good night at Villa Park, and I’m delighted with some of the players on the scoresheet. I have a bit of a worry about Ollie Watkins and Diego Carlos—we’ll see how they are.”
There’s every chance that Watkins’ injury may be a knock, which would be the best-case scenario.
Nevertheless, Unai Emery may be reluctant to risk his star man ahead of a hectic end to the season.
Jhon Duran primed for Aston Villa start v West Ham United
Jhon Duran replaced Watkins on Thursday evening and could be primed to make his first Premier League start of the season.
The 20-year-old, signed for £18million in January 2023, produced an exhilarating performance in his 57-minute cameo against the Eredivisie giants. Per FotMob, he managed four shots, finding the back of the net in the second half to send Villa into a 3-0 lead.
Furthermore, he created one big chance and registered an xG (expected goals) of 0.42. It was a relentless performance, which suggests that Villa have a reasonably adequate replacement for Watkins.
After 14 substitute appearances, the striker looks set to finally be given the nod from the outset.
Aston Villa must bounce back against West Ham
Emery will be looking for a response from his players after Sunday’s damaging home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Villa haven’t lost consecutive games this season and face an inconsistent West Ham side.
Talking ahead of the fixture, the Villa boss said: “Sunday is very important for us and for them as well. We’re going to respect them a lot.” He added: “It’s a big challenge for us to keep being consistent away, to keep being focused in each competition and trying to get the best performances.”
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