Aston Villa: Calum Chambers may get redemption after new Villa Park blow
Calum Chambers may well be rescued from oblivion at Aston Villa after a damaging new injury blow for Ezri Konsa at Villa Park.
The Telegraph reported on 5 February that the Villans are set to miss Konsa after the defender was ruled out with a “significant” knee injury which could keep him out for over a month.
The defender’s run of 61 straight league appearances will end at Villa Park on Sunday, following the injury the 26-year-old picked up in the recent 5-0 win over Sheffield United.
Konsa collided with the post in the second half and had to be replaced at Bramall Lane.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against Chelsea at Villa Park (6 February), Unai Emery confirmed that Konsa will be missing for a few weeks in a new damaging blow for the club.
The defender has made this right-back spot his own in recent weeks, at the expense of Matty Cash, despite his usual preference for playing in the middle and has helped Emery’s side to keep three clean sheets in their last four games.
Despite his fresh blow against the Blades, Konsa once again exerted why he is one of the first names on the teamsheet, recording a 98 per cent passing accuracy, 100 per cent ground duel success rate, and 100 per cent dribble success rate in just 59 minutes of football saw him dominate the right-hand side [Sofascore].
The Englishman has been a consistent presence for Emery all season and one of the reasons why he’s been so crucial is his exceptional durability.
Konsa rarely gets injured and the unfortunate blow against Sheffield United was through no fault of his own after colliding with the post but such is the unpredictable nature of football, Emery will now have to rely on others to step up in Konsa’s absence.
Chambers option now available for Emery
With Konsa now out of action at Villa Park, Emery has just one right-back option available in Cash but could yet replace Konsa smartly should he hand Chambers a redemption opportunity after his failed move away on January transfer deadline day.
It could be difficult for Aston Villa to move Chambers on as his deal doesn’t expire until June 2025 and he seems quite content at Villa Park.
The defender has featured just three times this season after he’s fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of Emery, who has made it clear he isn’t part of his plans moving forward.
The fact he rejected moves to Championship clubs shows that he fancies himself to continue playing at a higher level and recent performances in an Aston Villa shirt suggest he may have something to offer in Konsa’s absence.
Chambers’ most recent appearance came against Zrijinski Mostar (14 December) in a 21-minute cameo from the bench. The Aston Villa defender had eight touches of the ball and completed five of his six passes, failing to find a teammate with his only long-range effort in the contest [Fotmob].
His last start against Legia Warsaw saw him hooked after 67 minutes as although he won 100 per cent of his duels both on the ground and in the air, he completed zero per cent of his attempted crosses and was only accurate with 33 per cent of his long passes.
This lack of cutting edge in possession is really what is preventing Chambers from consistently featuring for Emery’s side. In his last regular season of Premier League football in the 2021/22 campaign, the 28-year-old placed in the 46th percentile of defenders for passes completed per game [Fbref].
However, with the club set to undergo a testing fixture list over the next month, Emery will have no choice but to utilise Chambers to keep things fresh within his squad. So all may not be lost for the former Fulham and Arsenal defender.
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