By Dr Rajpal Brar

6th Sep, 2023 | 5:10pm

Aston Villa player Bertrand Traore doubtful for Crystal Palace clash post Grade 3 tear - Injury Expert

We’re delighted to welcome injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the injury situation at Aston Villa...

Bertrand Traore lacks match sharpness which makes him a doubt for the Aston Villa v Crystal Palace clash, according to Dr Rajpal Brar.

The injury expert believes that while he did return to play 21 minutes against Hibs on 23 August and 9 minutes against Burnley, he still remains a doubt for the game.

That’s because he did not make the matchday squad in the following game against Liverpool or the second leg v Hibs as well.

Speaking about his injury and lack of match fitness, Dr Brar, a doctor in physical therapy and a sports scientist, told Villa News:

“Quite difficult to say (his current fitness levels) other than he had a significant muscle tear considering he’d been out since late June.

“This appeared to be a grade 3 muscle rupture which would align with him being stretchered off the pitch.

“Since his recovery, he hasn’t featured much and not even made the matchday squads.

“He’s clearly lacking match sharpness and is a doubt for the forthcoming games.“

Traore might feature on the bench if he is declared fit and picked by Unai Emery on the 16th of September.

However, his starting that game appears to be a doubt given how scarce minutes have been for him.

With the Villans’ super spending, the Burkina Faso international has also slipped further down the pecking order.

Emery will be looking to get back to winning ways after getting convincingly beaten at Anfield before the international break.

In other Aston Villa news, a senior first-team player is unlikely to return to normal for 12 months after what happened recently.