Aston Villa: Matty Cash misses training but fit to play v Chelsea
Aston Villa have received a double injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea as two senior players have been passed fit.
Matty Cash missed training on Thursday (13 October) but only due to a precaution and is expected to be fine to face the Blues while Leon Bailey has also returned to training and is available for selection, as the official Aston Villa Twitter account shares.
There is also good news for left-back Lucas Digne who, while being unavailable for the Chelsea game, is ahead of time in his recovery and could feature before the World Cup break in mid-November.
The longer-term injuries for Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos are progressing nicely at Bodymoor but their returns are both a long way away at the moment.
Graham Potter will have a headache of his own with Reece James needing assessment and possibly surgery after picking up a knock in the Champions League and N’Golo Kante also ruled out of the clash.
Momentum
Villa are now four games unbeaten in the Premier League and while the latest draw away at Nottingham Forest will be a disappointing one for Steven Gerrard to take, it is still another point on the board.
The typical motto of ‘If you can’t win, don’t lose’ is crucial when a club is battling in mid-table and below in the Premier League where wins are often so hard to come by.
Kante and James being ruled out of the game gives Vila a slightly open door to barge themselves through but the depth of quality at Stamford Bridge is tough to beat.
Regardless, it won’t be Potter’s ultimate first-choice team that takes to the field at Villa Park on Sunday (16 October) and that is something Gerrard has to try and take advantage of.
Cash and Bailey’s availability gives even more of a chance to the Villans who now need to prove that they can hold their own for long periods against another team on the up.
In other Aston Villa news, while form is picking up, Gerrard still may want his old assistant manager back after what he has done in the Championship.