Aston Villa loanee expected to miss rest of season in devastating injury blow
Aston Villa loanees have provided plenty of headlines in recent weeks, albeit less has been said about those playing away from Villa Park.
While Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have become leading lights in claret and blue with their displays since arriving in January, Villa have numerous contracted players plying their trade elsewhere.
No less than 23 Villa players are currently on loan at clubs across England, Europe and Brazil; the likes of Kosta Nedeljkovic and Emiliano Buendia heading out for more game time in the January transfer window.
Some players, such as Lewis Dobbin, Tommi O’Reilly and the highly-rated Louie Barry have all made more than one temporary move this season, and Villa have received a blow regarding one of that trio.
Lewis Dobbin in line for Aston Villa return after Norwich injury
Having signed for the Lions from Everton last summer, Dobbin is yet to kick a ball at Villa Park and has already been sent out on loan twice, first to West Brom and then to Norwich City in January.
Dobbin, however, could be set for a return to Villa after picking up a calf injury which may rule him out until the end of the season, doing so in the first half of Norwich’s Championship clash at Blackburn on Saturday.
| Club | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| West Brom | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Norwich City | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
Speaking to the PinkUn (2 March), Norwich manager Johannes Hoff Thorup said: “He felt it straight away when he was running in that situation.
“Obviously, when a player feels like that and he feels the pain straight away like that, then it’s never a good sign – so we have to wait and see.
“But yes, I’m not that optimistic. You never know, I will not be too either pessimistic or optimistic around this. We have to wait and see.”
Aston Villa injury crisis continues at home and away
Thorup’s suggestion that it is unlikely Dobbin will play again this season is a big blow for Norwich, and a setback for the Villa loanee.
And he won’t be the first Lions loanee heading back to Bodymoor Heath as Barry, who like Dobbin only moved on loan to his current Championship side in January, is already back in the building at Aston Villa with a knee injury which could well end his half-season spell at Hull City.
While Villa see Barry as a sellable asset with a transfer value which will increase significantly, it’s unclear what their plans are for Dobbin, having seen him make little impact at both West Brom and Norwich.
With several first-team Lions stars also out of the picture after their own injuries, including Ross Barkley, it appears that regardless of where they’re playing, few Villa stars can catch a break at the moment.