The most recent update on Ollie Watkins’ condition prior to Aston Villa versus Brentford in the Premier League.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is putting in the effort to be fit for Saturday’s Premier League showdown against Brentford at Villa Park, but his availability remains uncertain.
Absent during the team’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday, Watkins has been recuperating from a hamstring injury sustained in the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite Villa’s 2-0 victory in that game, Watkins did not return for the second half, prompting concerns. Unai Emery, Villa’s manager, explained, “He was feeling something in his hamstring. We decided not to play with the risk.”
Now, after undergoing additional tests to evaluate his fitness, Watkins’ status is still up in the air. Emery provided an update at the Etihad Stadium, indicating some improvement: “Watkins, we will check him and if he’s getting better for Saturday.” Emery emphasized the importance of utilizing players who haven’t seen much game time, stating, “We are as well playing to try and build our team with players who have not been playing a lot. We will need them and so we need to give them chances to play.”
With 16 goals and 10 assists in 30 appearances, Watkins has been involved in more goals than any other player in the Premier League this season. His absence would be significant, especially with matches against LOSC Lille and Arsenal coming up in the next 10 days.
However, there is a capable replacement in striker Jhon Duran, who performed well against City, scoring a goal to level the score at 1-1. Emery will be looking for a similar contribution from the 20-year-old.