Aston Villa receive injury boost ahead of Zrinjski clash as Sky Sports shares new Leon Bailey footage
Aston Villa have received a welcome boost ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League group stage clash with Zrinjski as Leon Bailey was spotted in training on Wednesday.
Following defeat to Legia Warsaw in their Group E opener, the Villans will be aiming to make swift amends when debutants Zrinjski Mostar arrive at Villa Park on Thursday (5 October).
After losing the club’s first European group stage game since 2008, Emery’s men cannot afford to slip up again this week, as a tough double-header with Dutch Eredivisie high-flyers AZ is next up on the European schedule.
Boss Unai Emery has focused on making Villa Park a fortress since taking the reins nearly a year ago, and his team still boast a flawless home record in the league this season, following their spectacular 6-1 success against Brighton at the weekend.
The Villans are certainly full of goals so far this season with eleven of their games up till now yielding 45 goals already and Emery will be hoping his team’s purple patch in front of goal continues on Thursday with a new injury boost now confirmed at Bodymoor Heath.
Sky Sports News on Wednesday (4 October) dropped new footage of the Jamaican international Bailey training with the Aston Villa group ahead of Thursday’s game after Emery confirmed before the weekend [via Birmingham Live, 29 September] that he’d picked up an injury which ruled him out of the 6-1 win.
The 26-year has certainly struggled with inconsistency for much of his Villa Park career but so far this season into a different beast this term, however, and has registered six goal involvements (4G/2A) in many games, despite being restricted to just 346 minutes.
In fact, over the past 365 days, Bailey ranks incredibly well of forwards in key attacking and chance-creation metrics ranking in the 98th percentile for progressive carries per 90, 93rd percentile for successful take-ons, 88th percentile for shot-creating actions and in the 98th percentile again for expected assisted goals (xAG) (FBRef).
The Jamaican international’s services may not have been needed at the weekend but such is the plethora of attacking qualities available to Emery and the confidence at which his players are performing right now, Bailey’s injury return certainly provides an instant boost ahead of Thursday’s clash and their crucial Midlands derby game against Wolves.
Emery has forged a dangerous and decisive front line consisting of Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins and Bailey is the perfect member to complete the trio of talent up top, given his underlying 2023/24 statistics.
Should his impressive early season form continue, there’s no limit to where this bright new Aston Villa team could end up come the end of the campaign.
In other Aston Villa news, an Aston Villa Women defender has been handed a club honour following the exit of one player.