Steven Gerrard offers Diego Carlos injury update as Aston Villa signing loses crutches
Deigo Carlos moved one step closer to recovering from injury this week, and Steven Gerrard insists he still has a big part to play at Aston Villa this season.
Carlos excited Villa fans after completing a £26million move over the summer, but just days after arriving, the 29-year-old suffered an injury that would cause him to miss most of the season.
It was disastrous for both club and player, but Gerrard has offered a promising update on his injury while also insisting Carlos can still impact the squad this season.
When asked about a specific return date, Gerrard told Birmingham Live: “Not in terms of a day or a week or a time but he’s off crutches and he’s out of a boot now. So he’s able to up his gym work, up his rehab. He can get about, he’s more mobile.
“His English is fantastic which will help. He’s having lessons every day he’s in here and so he’s communicating more. When he comes back he’ll feel like a proper Villa player not a new Villa player.
“So we’re pushing him in every department we can. In terms of the injury and progress, when you don’t see the crutches or the protective boot he looks a bit closer to being a player again, so that’s positive for him.
“He’s a natural leader. He’ll be a big, big player for this club, I’ve no doubts.”
A worthwhile wait
Gerrard prioritised bringing in defensive depth this summer, and he must have been as gutted as anyone to see Carlos sent directly to the treatment room.
He was supposedly going to fix Villa’s defensive issues this season, but the Premier League will have to wait a little while longer to see his talents.
However, the news of Carlos coming off crutches is huge. Hopefully soon, he’ll be back on the training pitch and putting in the hard yards.
The player himself has been issuing injury updates to fans via his Instagram account, and it’s great to see him back around the players and the gym.
Frankly, even after coming back from such a serious issue, Carlos will still be deemed as a player good enough to transform Villa’s entire defence.
But Gerrard is looking for Carlos to make changes off the pitch too, and he’ll have a great chance to do that this campaign as well as others.
With the World Cup break providing a great time for rest and relaxation, hopefully, Carlos recovers in time to feature for Villa towards the tail end of the season.
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