Steven Gerrard opens up on Bertrand Traore frustration after yet another injury setback

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard says Bertrand Traore’s latest injury setback has left him ‘super frustrated’ and feeling like he can no longer trust the winger’s body.

Traore, 26, pulled out of training on Thursday afternoon with a groin problem that is expected to keep him out for the Leicester City fixture at the very least.

The Burkina Faso international has started just one Premier League game for the Villans this season after suffering a never-ending series of niggling problems.

Every time he looks set for an opportunity to break back into the starting fray, something else seems to get in the way and it’s left Gerrard with a headache over the future of the former Chelsea man.

Traore is contracted at Villa Park until the summer of 2024 but with his inability to make any sort of impact on the squad this year has led the manager to make some pretty telling comments about where his future may lie.

“I’ve been super frustrated with this one,” Gerrard said in regards to the 26-year-old’s latest issue.

“I saw him in the Premier League previously and he is capable of scoring and creating. He has big talent.

“But I turned up and he was injured.

“We got him back fit, allowed him to go away to the Africa Cup of Nations, he came back injured. We got him back fit and yesterday he dropped out injured.

“We haven’t seen enough of the boy.

“In terms of his body this season since we came in, we haven’t been able to trust it to be available and play. That has been frustrating because he is a big talent.”

Traore has played a grand total of 235 minutes for the claret & blue this season and it’s yet to be seen whether he will play any further part of this season or beyond.

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