Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Villa facing up to an injury crisis
Thursday 4th November 2010, 11:01AM GMT.
Emile Heskey
Villa were facing up to an injury crisis today after Emile Heskey was ruled out for around a month and Steve Sidwell emerged as a doubt to face Fulham.
Heskey, Villa’s joint-top scorer this season with four goals, suffered a medial knee ligament injury in training yesterday and will require surgery.
His injury could not come at a worse time for Villa, with the claret and blues 344 minutes without a goal in the Premier League.
It leaves John Carew and youngster Nathan Delfouneso as their only available centre-forwards for Saturday’s trip to Fulham, with Gabby Agbonlahor again ruled out despite returning to training yesterday following groin surgery.
But Marc Albrighton’s return from suspension could free up Ashley Young to revert to a supporting striker role.
A club statement read: “Emile Heskey will miss the clash with Fulham after picking up a knee injury.
“Heskey tore the medial meniscus in his right knee yesterday in training with no other player involved in the incident.
“The injury will require an operation and he faces between three to four weeks out of action.”
With resources already stretched in midfield with Fabian Delph and Stiliyan Petrov already sidelined with knee injuries, Sidwell’s illness ahead of the Craven Cottage visit with a stomach bug comes as a further blow.
Sidwell, who saw a move to the Cottagers fall through in the summer, missed training yesterday but Villa have their fingers crossed he will recover in time.
Youngsters Barry Bannan and Ciaran Clark, who finished as Villa’s central midfield pairing on Sunday, could both feature, while it remains to be seen whether Stephen Ireland would be considered for a recall – despite manager Gerard Houllier’s outburst over the Irishman’s work ethic last weekend.
And Clark has declared himself fit after being in the wars last weekend.
He said: “I just got a dead leg and then took one in the nose from their goalkeeper, but I’m feeling good now.”
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