Aston Villa dealt ‘huge blow’ as Douglas Luiz news emerges ahead of Premier League run-in
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been handed a “huge blow” to his top-four hopes after Douglas Luiz was ruled out for the clash with Arsenal, according to Alan Hutton.
Emery’s side make the trip to the Emirates on Sunday (14 April) as they look to build upon their impressive Europa Conference League win over Lille and get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
But the Villa boss will have to do it without Luiz after the Brazilian midfielder picked up his tenth yellow card of the season in the 3-3 draw with Brentford, meaning he will be suspended against the Gunners and Bournemouth.
While Hutton concedes the 25-year-old’s absence will be a major blow to Villa’s hopes, he has admitted that he expects a combination of John McGinn and Youri Tielemans to ease Emery’s ‘burden’ and replace the Brazilian.
“First and foremost it is a huge blow,” Hutton told Villa News.
“I think he has been one of the outstanding players of this season and for a number of seasons actually. With everything that he does within the game, he has grown into a kind of leadership role, not only with his performances but on and off the pitch.
“His set plays, everything that he does defensively and moving forward through the thirds so he is going to be a huge blow. I think it’s good that John McGinn is back in because at least he can ease that burden a little bit.
“You’ve got options there, Tielemans can come in and fill that void at this moment in time. He’s quite happy coming back and getting that ball off of the back four and trying to make transitions.
“I don’t think they will see it as a free hit because they’re there or there about now and they’re aiming for that top four so if you really want to go and compete with these teams, you need to go and show that on the pitch.
“They’ll see it as a huge test. They’ve had a massive game in the Champions League midweek and that could help Villa moving forward if they’re a little bit tired. It’s going to be a huge test for them.”
Is Douglas Luiz suspended for Aston Villa against Arsenal?
Villa are collectively enjoying one of their best seasons in recent memory and while so much of that good form has been built around solid team performances, a few individuals have stood out amongst the crowd.
Luiz is one of those players and his excellent displays in claret and blue have seen him linked with a whole host of potential moves ahead of the summer transfer window, most notably Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
While Emery would have certainly liked to have been able to call upon the 25-year-old for his Emirates return, he has plenty of options in midfield capable of stepping up to the plate.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has made a new prediction over Ollie Watkins’ future beyond the summer transfer window
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