Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: Keinan Davis injury setback a "kick in the teeth"
Dean Smith described Keinan Davis’ latest hamstring injury as a “kick in the teeth” after the striker was ruled out for up to three weeks.
Davis, who has only just returned from a three-month lay-off, was forced off while playing for the club’s under-23s early last week.
The 21-year-old will miss at least Villa’s next two Premier League matches, against Tottenham and Southampton, with new boys Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston the only senior strikers available to Smith.
The boss said: “Keinan’s been out since the Wolves game in the cup, which is three months ago, and he’d been impressive coming off the bench so we needed to build up his minutes.
“Unfortunately he felt it (his hamstring) in a different place but it’s certainly not as bad as it was and I’m expecting him to be back in the next two to three weeks.
“It’s only a minor hamstring injury but it’s one that was certainly a kick in the teeth for him because he was making an impact coming on.”
In better news, Smith will have Ezri Konsa available for Sunday’s visit of Spurs, with the defender having recovered from the thigh problem which forced him out of Villa’s defeat at Bournemouth at half-time.
Midfielder John McGinn is, meanwhile, targeting a mid-March returned from a fractured ankle.
Villa have been without the hugely influential Scot since he suffered the injury in late December.
Smith said: “He’s pushing the medical staff all the time to hasten his recovery. He’s a really, really energetic person as well as a player.
“He’s well liked around the place and he’ll be pushing me to try and get back for the Carabao Cup final (on March 1).
“But I think it’ll be a week or two later than that, but it won’t be for the want of trying with John.”
