Injury expert shares positive Aston Villa news

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has shared a positive update regarding Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Injury ‘blow’

Kamara has made a positive impression during his first season at Villa Park after arriving on a free transfer last summer, with Gregg Evans recently describing him as almost irreplaceable.

The 23-year-old has made 21 appearances in all competitions but suffered an ankle injury against Crystal Palace earlier this month after being out with a knee problem back in October.

Initial reports suggested he was expected to miss at least five Premier League games, with Evans labelling it as a ‘blow’, however, it looks as if he is already making good progress at Bodymoor Heath.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Dinnery, who contributes for The Athletic and Sky Sports, was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Kamara in a story shared on Monday evening. The expert shared some positive news he’s heard, saying that the player has ‘responded really well to treatment’ and there was an ‘outside suggestion’ he could be back involved soon.

“I think initial prognosis was that it didn’t look great and there were fears that maybe it could be a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“But he responded really well to treatment, and there was even maybe an outside suggestion that he could have been involved this weekend, although, realistically, that was never likely.”

The Verdict: Good news

Kamara has been Villa’s fifth-best performer in the top flight, as per WhoScored, making more tackles per 90 than any of his teammates, while also ranking highly for passes and interceptions made each game, so his long-term absence would leave a big void in Unai Emery’s side.

However, it looks as if he could be back sooner rather than later, something that will be welcomed by all associated with the club. The club won’t want to rush a potential return, but if he is fully fit, Emery could look to bring Kamara back into his starting XI at the earliest opportunity, especially as Villa are still in the mix for a top-half finish.

Another player who could be in line for game time before the end of the season is defender Diego Carlos, who returned to the matchday squad on the weekend for the first time since August.

Carlos and Kamara were two key signings under former manager Steven Gerrard last summer, so hopefully, they can feature in the run-in and go on to star in Emery’s first full season in charge.