Ollie Watkins has been a leading light for Aston Villa since joining from Brentford in 2020, with his form under Unai Emery particularly crucial in their ascent to Champions League football.
The England striker rarely misses a game and last season scored in excess of a goal every other game in all competitions – a strike rate he has come close to matching so far in this Premier League campaign. Watkins ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best strikers in the world right now.
But Villa fans face an anxious wait to see if Watkins is set to be sidelined after he was forced off at half-time in their 3-2 win away to RB Leipzig in midweek.
Is Ollie Watkins fit to face Nottingham Forest?
Emery, who ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world right now, described Watkins’ issue as a ‘small injury’ following that Champions League victory.
But Watkins was set to be assessed on Wednesday to reveal the true extent of the issue before Villa travel to face fifth-placed Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in Saturday’s teatime kick-off.
Emery was pleased at the impact Jhon Duran had from the bench – as he so often does – by putting Villa ahead for the second time in the game. Leverkusen subsequently equalised before Ross Barkley’s effort won it for Villa five minutes from time.
Duran would be the most likely replacement for Watkins if he is unable to play against Forest. The Colombian started and scored in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Southampton last weekend, with Watkins replacing him from the bench just before the hour.
That was Duran’s first league start of the season, and extended his goalscoring run from the starting line-up after he also netted against Bologna in the Champions League and against Wycombe and Crystal Palace in the League Cup. He has also scored four from the bench in the Premier League.
In FourFourTwo’s view, Duran is a more than reliable deputy to Watkins, and that may be a factor in Emery’s selection decision if the latter would be at any risk of exacerbating the injury by starting on Saturday.
Villa face a particularly tough run of Christmas fixtures, with their trip to Forest followed by hosting Manchester City, a visit to Newcastle, and a home game against Brighton before a midlands derby against Leicester City on January 4.
Emery’s side look to have come out of a poor run of form, claiming back-to-back league wins to rise back up the sixth in the table. They are level on points with Forest and just two behind fourth-placed City.
2024-12-13 10:44:36
