Ollie Watkins injury update finally emerges as Unai Emery speaks before Man City trip

Ollie Watkins will not feature for Aston Villa against Manchester City, Unai Emery confirmed during his pre-match press conference.

The England international didn't reemerge for the second half of the 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday due to a hamstring injury. That same issue has proved too severe for a rapid return, with Villa having to look at alternative options up front at Etihad Stadium.

Jacob Ramsey is another player unavailable, with the 22-year-old still missing due to an ankle injury sustained away at Luton Town on March 2. It was expected the versatile midfielder could return at the start of this month but a setback has stumped his progress.

"They will not be available for tomorrow. They have small injuries," Emery told Birmingham Live on Tuesday. "Jacob Ramsey is not getting better like he wants. We are not in a hurry with him. For tomorrow he will not be available.

"With Ollie, it is more or less the same. Ollie's injury is a small injury, with some days rest, maybe he could be available for the next match. We have had a lot of bad circumstances with injured players, but we are always trying to be positive. "The players in the squad are there because we believe [in them], and we believe in our capacity to respond," Emery continued, offering some hope for the hosting of Brentford on Saturday afternoon.