Former Aston Villa man and now pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to news on Marvelous Nakamba’s knee injury, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Nakamba news
Nakamba had been a regular under Steven Gerrard before he sustained the problem against Liverpool last weekend.
News then emerged hours before Villa’s 2-0 win over Norwich City on Tuesday evening that the holding midfielder may miss the rest of the season as a result.
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Villa will now consider signing a new midfielder in the January transfer window following the update on Nakamba, with the 27-year-old set to miss the Africa Cup of Nations with Zimbabwe.
The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments
Agbonlahor, who regularly features on talkSPORT, was talking to Football Insider about Nakamba.
He labelled it as a ‘massive blow’ for Gerrard before calling on other players to ‘step in’.
“It’s a massive blow.
“Steven Gerrard has played him a lot since he’s come in and he’s been outstanding, doing a great role.
“But this is football. It gives someone else a chance to step in. Can someone else come in and take the chance?
“Yes, it’s bad news but this is why you build a squad. Other players have got to step in.”
The Verdict: Who comes in?
Gerrard has used various formations in his six games as Villa boss, with the last three all featuring three central midfielders.
John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey were the three who were used at Carrow Road, and the trio could be relied on heavily prior to the New Year.
Morgan Sanson and Carney Chukwuemeka are also options for Gerrard, so although losing Nakamba isn’t great news, at least the Villa boss should be able to deal with a busy festive period in midfield ahead of a possible addition in January.
In other news: ‘A wind up?’ – Many Villa fans flock to ’embarrassing’ official news.
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