---
title: "Aston Villa: Matty Cash should be fit for Arsenal"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-matty-cash-should-be-fit-for-arsenal/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Aston Villa"
published: "2021-10-19T15:10:26Z"
modified: "2021-10-19T15:10:26Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Matty Cash should be fit for Arsenal

**Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash should be available for selection against Arsenal after sustaining a minor injury at the weekend, [Ashley Preece says](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-arsenal-transfers-wolves-21888095#comments-wrapper).**

### The lowdown

Cash started against Wolves on Saturday and played 79 minutes before he was substituted, with Ashley Young coming on in his place.

Manager Dean Smith [revealed after the game](https://twitter.com/PreeceObserver/status/1449417683464773636) that he’d been forced off with a dead leg.

Cash is a mainstay of the Villa side, with his Wolves injury threatening to disrupt [a 100% Premier League starting record](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/322043/History/Matthew-Cash).

Going by [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/24/Show/England-Aston-Villa) metrics, the 24-year-old has been his side’s third best player so far this season.  Nobody in the squad has made more tackles per 90 minutes.

Cash, incidentally, ranks in Villa’s top-six earners with a [reported](https://www.spotrac.com/epl/aston-villa-fc/payroll/) weekly salary of £65,000.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”375426″\]

### The latest

Addressing supporters in a [Birmingham Live fan Q&A](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-arsenal-transfers-wolves-21888095#comments-wrapper), Preece wrote: “\[I\] expect Matty Cash to shake off a dead leg for Arsenal on Friday.”

Meanwhile, an update on the fitness of winger Leon Bailey is expected in Dean Smith’s press conference on Thursday.

### The verdict

This will surely come as a relief to Villa supporters. Young would have been able to deputise, but it’s clear that Cash is one of Smith’s most trusted lieutenants.

And they need to muster a response on Friday night against a 12th-placed Arsenal side, having conceded three times in 15 minutes in a dramatic late collapse after Cash’s withdrawal on Saturday.

If Bailey is available for selection too, they’ll probably fancy their chances.

**In other news, [this Villa starlet is being monitored](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/aston-villa-cameron-archer-catches-england-eye/).**