Ollie Watkins injury latest: Unai Emery delivers Aston Villa update before Wolves derby clash

The influential England striker handed Villa a scare connected their long-awaited Champions League instrumentality successful Switzerland connected Tuesday evening, replaced by Jhon Duran connected the hr people during the comfortable 3-0 win implicit Young Boys.

Watkins was past spotted with crystal connected his Achilles connected the seat astatine the Stade de Suisse, sparking fears that helium had suffered an injury.

His lack would person represented a important stroke for Villa, with the 28-year-old having finished arsenic the club’s apical goalscorer successful each of the past 4 seasons, notching 27 successful full successful 53 appearances crossed each competitions past term.

Watkins has made a much profligate commencement to this play astatine times, though did unfastened his relationship for the run with a treble past play arsenic Villa fought backmost from down astatine location to bushed struggling Everton 3-2 and determination into 5th spot successful the aboriginal top-flight array with 3 wins from their archetypal 4 matches, to spell on with their victorious instrumentality to Europe.

The fixtures present travel heavy and accelerated for Villa implicit the coming weeks, with manager Unai Emery allaying immoderate fears implicit a lay-off for his cardinal attacking talisman.

"He’s disposable 100 per cent to play,” the Spaniard said of Watkins astatine this pre-Wolves property league connected Friday. “He had immoderate problems, similar different players, but not relevant. He’s present disposable time 100 per cent to play.”

There was much bully quality from Emery connected semipermanent Villa absentees Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings, some of whom are present stepping up their respective returns from superior wounded successful training.

France midfielder Kamara has not played since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament wounded against Manchester United backmost successful February, portion ex-England defender Mings has been retired with his ain ACL wounded since the opening time of past season.

"Kamara and Mings are grooming each time present consistently with the team, they started this week. It’s precise bully news,” Emery said of the duo.

Villa’s lone different absentee astatine contiguous is right-back Matty Cash, who sustained a hamstring wounded successful past month’s nonaccomplishment to Arsenal astatine Villa Park and was expected to miss astir 4 weeks.

The awesome signifier of Duran truthful acold this play aft a summertime transportation model successful which helium was heavy linked with a determination distant from Villa has led to calls for the Colombian to commencement alongside Watkins successful attack, with a spectacular victor against Everton pursuing akin exploits disconnected the seat against some Leicester and West Ham.

Emery said connected Duran earlier the sojourn of rivals Wolves: “He is adjacent to playing successful the starting eleven and helium has to recognize arsenic good successful his process however helium tin negociate to play with Ollie Watkins. But of course, I americium precise blessed with however helium has started this season."