Unai Emery handed injury boost as Tyrone Mings return update emerges at Aston Villa
Unai Emery will be buzzing with Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings in line to return to action this week.
Villa have a busy season ahead of them, and Emery will need all the help he can get.
The club will be competing in the newly revamped UEFA Champions League, which includes eight group-stage fixtures. Therefore, squad depth will be incredibly important.
As a result, a recent Mings injury update will have come as music to supporters’ ears at Villa Park.
Injured on the opening day of the 2023/24 Premier League season, it has been more than a year since Emery has had Mings available to him.
However, according to a report from Alan Nixon via his Patreon on Monday (2 September), the 31-year-old could soon be ready for action once again.
Nixon has reported that the defender is waiting for the all-clear to feature for Villa’s Under-21s on Tuesday (3 September) in their Football League Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town.
And if Mings can feature for the Under-21s, it suggests that a return to the first-team isn’t far off.
Mings will no doubt need some time to get back to his best after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
However, Nixon has reported that the centre-back has made “strong progress”, and if he is therefore ready to play a part in the coming weeks and months, that will be huge for the club.
A lot has changed at Villa since Mings last took to the field, and he will no doubt be eager to get going again with the club set to compete in the Champions League this season.
Unai Emery handed Tyrone Mings injury boost at Aston Villa
While he might not be the first name on the team sheet upon his return from injury, Ming’s stats from the 2022/23 Premier League season demonstrate that he will be a useful asset in the squad.
As per fbref, Mings ranked among the top 18 per cent of his positional peers in the Premier League that year for the number of interceptions he made (1.54 per 90). Furthermore, he looked comfortable in possession, once again ranking in the top 18 per cent for the number of touches he made inside his own box (10.97 per 90).
On the ball he was useful in forward areas, ranking in the 86th percentile of Premier League centre-backs for the number of carries he made into the penalty area (0.09 per 90).
Finally, he was among the top 20 per cent of his positional peers that year for the number of assists he provided from the back (0.06 per 90).
However, Mings struggled in other areas, ranking in just the 51st percentile for the number of passes he completed (46.20 per 90) and the 54th percentile for his pass completion rate (85.2 per cent per 90).
In addition, he ranked in just the 25th percentile for the number of key passes he played (0.14 per 90). As a result, he might not be the ideal Emery centre-back. However, there is no denying that Mings’ return and his presence within the first-team squad is a boost for Aston Villa.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery could be set to unlock a new strike partnership at the club.
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