Unai Emery has ‘fantastic’ solution at Aston Villa amid Boubacar Kamara woes
Boubacar Kamara went off injured as Aston Villa knocked Tottenham out of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Keith Hackett criticised Craig Pawson for the lack of a yellow card for the challenge that forced Kamara off in the ninth minute, while the clash was scoreless.
Ultimately, Unai Emery‘s side secured the win with goals from Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers being enough, despite Wilson Odobert’s second-half strike for the hosts.
While the Spaniard will be pleased with the result, he will be concerned if the French midfielder faces a spell on the sidelines.
Who can replace Boubacar Kamara for Aston Villa?
Kamara has been a key player for Aston Villa this season, and his potential absence will be a problem for Emery’s side as they try to secure Champions League qualification.
Luckily, the Villans have someone who is ready to step up, Lamare Bogarde, and that was evident in the win over Spurs.
Bogarde has been a peripheral figure this season, making just four Premier League starts this season, despite playing 16 times.
However, he made his impact known in the cup contest, as he completed 86 per cent of his passes, and made eight passes into the final third, per Sofascore.
The Netherlands Under-21 international made six recoveries, two interceptions and won three of the four tackles that he attempted.
In terms of ground duels, the 22-year-old won six of the nine that he contested, for a 67 per cent success rate.
What has Unai Emery said previously about Bogarde?
Emery has recognised Bogarde’s potential in the past, most notably after the 2-1 win over Burnley in October.
Speaking after the victory, the Spaniard said: “Fantastic, because he is getting mature as a person.”
“He was here when I arrived three years ago. Since then, until today, his development is clear.”
Now, Emery may be forced to throw the young midfielder in at the deep end, and give him a chance to thrive in a more senior role.
He proved that he is able to do so, and may well be a ready-made solution for the B6 outfit, if Kamara is sidelined for a lengthy period.
It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old will miss any time, but Bogarde will be relishing his potential opportunity.
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