Villa team news vs Chelsea: Injury blow confirmed, bench boost

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has provided our latest team news ahead of our FA Cup replay with Chelsea at Villa Park on Wednesday night.

When winning 5-0 against Sheffield United the previous weekend, there was cause for concern when Ezri Konsa was substituted in the 60th minute when he collided with the goalpost.Despite walking off the field and Emery seemingly allaying anxieties after the game, the Villa defender’s attempt to convert a goalscoring opportunity ultimately ended in visible pain as he gripped his knee area. Initially, it didn’t seem to be a major issue.The Villa manager has since revealed that Konsa would miss time due to a knee sprain; Lucas Digne, Jhon Duran, Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia, and other long-term absences are all out.

According to VillaTV, he informed the journalists, “Ezri is injured.” “He will not be accessible due to a sprained knee. I’m not sure, maybe three or four weeks.Although Lucas Digne is making great progress, he won’t be available tomorrow.”Pau Torres will be sitting on the bench tomorrow after joining the group for training. Jhon Durán is still hurt, though.Given how outstanding and dependable he has been once more this season, it is unfortunate to lose Konsa. His talent and versatility make him an essential part of Emery’s defensive schemes.

Though it’s better news than anticipated that he would presumably miss less than a month, his absence will still be felt because of how crucial he is to our back line. Reports had indicated that he might be sidelined for an extended period of time.Nevertheless, Pau Torres is making progress toward a return, and if he does end up on the bench in the middle of the week, it’s a big plus that he should be well enough to start the following weekend against Manchester United.

In Konsa’s absence, Diego Carlos will surely be crucial in stepping up to fill the vacuum on the right side of the center-half pairing. Matty Cash will also need to step up at right-back, while rookie Kaine Kesler-Hayden might have a chance to show himself.Villa has been plagued by injuries this season, which has frustrated us because we are often left wondering “what if” we were healthy. It’s hoped that, given how successfully they handled previous setbacks, Konsa’s absence won’t be any different.

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