Aston Villa team news as Smith prepares to dish out debuts vs Sheffield United
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Aston Villa’s summer spending after beating the drop has generated plenty of excitement ahead of the visit of Sheffield United.
New boys keeper Emiliano Martinez, right-back Matty Cash and record £28million striker Ollie Watkins are in line for their League debuts against the Blades.
They have been part of a £75m spree with Lyon’s Bertrand Traore the latest recruit and maybe another striker on the way too.
Villa finished the season in fine style last term to stay up on the final day with eight points from their last four games.
They will be looking to keep that momentum going after a short summer break.
Boss Dean Smith expects to have a strong squad to chose from with just three confirmed absentees.
Bjorn Engels (thigh)
(Image: EMPICS Sport)
The Belgium defender, signed last summer for £7.2m from Reims, will be absent with a thigh strain.
The centre-back,26, did not feature for Villa after lockdown as Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa emerged as Smith’s preferred defensive choice in a successful partnership.
There is no sign of the defender getting another look in any time soon as he has a knock.
Smith said: “He has a slight thigh strain at the moment.”
Tom Heaton (knee)
(Image: 2020 Getty Images)
The keeper injured his ACL on New Year’s Day in a 2-1 win at Burnley.
He missed the rest of the season but is closing in on a return to the first team squad.
Boss Smith believes the star should be fit again on October 17 away at Leicester for the club’s fourth Premier League game.
But Heaton, capped three times by England, is likely to be on the bench after Villa paid £20m for Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal.
Smith said: “We decided to move quickly for another goalkeeper but I also kept Tom Heaton in the loop with what we were doing and kept him informed.
“The estimate is that he’ll miss the first three games but he’s still not training yet and I couldn’t take the risk of a 34-year-old coming back from an ACL injury returning on that date that we all expect him too.”
Wesley (knee)
(Image: TIM EASTHOPE/BIRMINGHAM MAIL)
Villa paid £22million to Club Brugge last summer for the Brazilian striker after promotion.
He scored six goals in 22 games but badly injured his knee on New Year’s Day at Burnley in a 2-1 win he scored in.
The star admits he broke down in tears following the injury which required surgery and rehabilitation back in his native Brazil.
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Now Smith has admitted Villa fans are unlikely to see the forward back in action until 2021.
He said: “We believed it was going to be a 12-month injury.
“Nothing has told us otherwise yet.
“The swelling has gone down on his knee now but it was quite a bad injury he suffered.
“He is back now with us but is not back training in any shape or form.
“He is getting full range into it and hopefully he will be back as soon as possible.”
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