Ashley Preece has labelled the news on Emiliano Buendia being a doubt against Newcastle as ‘a wounder’ for Aston Villa.
The Lowdown: Buendia under Gerrard
Buendia has been a regular under Steven Gerrard since he took over, featuring in every game and turning out in three separate positions.
The Argentine scored the winner against Everton in Villa’s last away trip but suffered an injury in the week during the 3-3 draw with Leeds United.
The 25-year-old was withdrawn shortly before the hour mark for Carney Chukwuemeka after colliding with the post and may now miss his first game under Gerrard as a result.
The Latest: Preece reacts
Gerrard confirmed on Friday that Bertrand Traore has suffered a fresh hamstring injury and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks as a result.
He also revealed another blow - Buendia is a ‘big doubt’ for the trip to St James’ Park due to a hip problem, with Preece labelling it as ‘a wounder’.
The Verdict: Fingers crossed
As Preece mentions in a story for Birmingham Live, Buendia had issues with his hip during pre-season, so hopefully, this latest knock doesn’t prove to be a long-term problem.
Although Buendia has been a regular in recent months, it may make sense to leave him out against Eddie Howe’s side on Sunday due to the quick turnover from Wednesday’s game.
That could well open the door for Chukwuemeka or Morgan Sanson to make a rare start under Gerrard, or perhaps Danny Ings, with Ollie Watkins moving out wide.
In other news: Villa now want midfield 'monster' for free as Lange plots revenge on Tottenham after Bentancur.