Will Ollie Watkins play vs Bournemouth? Unai Emery provides latest on injury

Unai Emery has revealed Ollie Watkins missed Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Legia Warsaw due to a minor injury, sparking concerns ahead of the Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth. The striker wasn't named in the matchday squad whatsoever on Thursday as the Villans were concerned about worsening an issue picked up in training.

Not only do Villa play the Cherries on Sunday but two vital fixtures against Manchester City and Arsenal are coming up in the next eight days. The exact injury Watkins has picked up isn't known but Emery has given a bit more detail as to the extent of it.

"He was not available because it was 50 per cent training yesterday when he felt something," Emery said during Thursday's post-match press conference. "I think it's not important but we decided not to take the risk."

Quizzed on whether Watkins would be available for the trip to Bournemouth, Emery said: "I don't know exactly now, but we are going to test how he is. Hopefully yes."

The likelihood is, then, that Watkins will feature in some capacity but there isn't any certainty he will start at the Vitality Stadium. The fixtures against Man City and Arsenal will undoubtedly take precedence, too, lessening the chance of a full 90 minutes at Bournemouth.

If Watkins doesn't start, then Jhon Duran is the likely figure to step up, just as he did against Legia. The Colombian had a decent game as he led the line, breaking free into the channels on occasion and forcing the goalkeeper into a save or two. Emery believes Duran still has plenty of potential to fulfil.

"Very good, very good," Emery said of Duran's showing against Legia. "Really, he is now being consistent and being available the last weeks. He is training well and I think this is the way we want to create with him. He is being committed in the last month better than before because he had injuries and had problems. If he is keeping this way I think he can show us his potential," Emery continued.