View: Aston Villa must keep Kortney Hause after Diego Carlos injury blow confirmed
By Sean Clifford.
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard woke up to some bad news on Monday (15 August), as defender Diego Carlos was confirmed to have ruptured his Achilles’ tendon by the official club website.
He will require surgery for the injury before then beginning his rehabilitation phase as he builds himself back up to first-team action.
The 29-year-old suffered his fate in the 2-1 victory over Everton last Saturday, where he was withdrawn in stoppage time for Calum Chambers.
In light of this, Chambers, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, and Kortney Hause are the remaining options for Gerrard in central defence as he looks ahead to coming fixtures.
Though there may be understandable arguments from some sections of the Villa support to bring in another defensive option, Gerrard certainly can’t afford to lose any more of his backline.
One man in particular who has been rumoured with a summer exit from the West Midlands is Kortney Hause, who has attracted interest from Watford in the last week, according to The Athletic.
Forward Keinan Davis has already joined the Hornets from Aston Villa this window and Watford are now believed to want Hause on a similar basis.
No chance.
In light of already losing Carlos to injury so early in the season, letting 27-year-old defender Hause go additionally would be a move that wouldn’t make sense due to dwindling numbers in his position.
Since joining from Wolves on loan and then permanently in 2019, the former England Under-21 international has gone on to rack up 55 appearances for the club, becoming a reliable squad player who has put in some impressive performances in his time at Villa Park.
Last season in the Premier League, the 6ft 3in defender had a 100% tackle success rate while also making 41 ball recoveries across his limited time on the pitch.
Granted, he probably won’t be a regular starter for the Villans in the coming months, but he isn’t a bad option to have around should further injuries come to fruition.
Club captain John McGinn labelled him as a “monster” in 2021, following his outstanding performance in the 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford last campaign, where he nullified the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo almost completely during the match.
Whether Aston Villa dip into the transfer market for another centre-back is another matter; however, they should look to keep Hause around for the time being despite interest from Watford, as he has proven himself as a valuable member of the squad over the last few years.
In other Aston Villa news, Paul McGrath backs Tyrone Mings in potential problem with Steven Gerrard