Diego Carlos finally nearing Aston Villa return as Unai Emery issues fresh update on defender

Unai Emery has confirmed when he expects Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos to make a full return from injury. The Brazilian, who signed for the Villans in the summer for a fee of around £26 million, ruptured his Achilles tendon in the closing moments of just his second Premier League appearance, back in August.

Supporters were very excited about Carlos’ arrival, and rightfully so, as the centre back established himself as a continental-class footballer at Sevilla. During a three-year spell with the Spanish giants, Carlos made 136 appearances, including 16 in the Champions League and 10 in the Europa League.

It is a real shame that he has been unable to play more often this season, and his absence certainly did not help Steven Gerrard’s chances of surviving as Villa boss. But there is now an update on Carlos’ return. “It was a tough injury that he had but he is close to starting to work with the team on the pitch,” Emery said ahead of the Tottenham clash.

“I think the month of January, we will not see him playing. February is the month he will be ok,” Emery continued. Carlos is of course yet to play a single minute under the new man in the dugout but he is bound to become a key player once he gets back into the swing of things. We now know this is likely to be from February onwards.

The defender will likely provide a big boost to the Villans as his return will not only add quality in defence, but will likely push the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa to the next level with their own places at risk. In other news, Philippe Coutinho has broken his silence over his Villa future.