Will Ollie Watkins play against Brentford? Latest on Aston Villa striker's injury and what Unai Emery said
Is Ollie Watkins injured? Latest on Aston Villa striker after early substitution against Salzburg, as Tammy Abraham waits in the wings.
Aston Villa suffered a new injury blow on Thursday night as Ollie Watkins was forced off in the first half of the 3-2 victory over RB Salzburg.
The Villans came from two goals down to beat their Austrian opponents, courtesy of goals from Morgan Rogers, Tyrone Mings and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba. It turned out to be an excellent night at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s side secured a top-two finish in the Europa League league phase, guaranteeing home second legs for the rest of the competition.
But, as has so painfully often been the case for Villa in recent weeks and months, the victory was gilded by an injury for a key player. Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans have all been ruled out for several months due to injuries sustained since the turn of the year, and now Watkins has cause for concern.
What Emery said about Watkins’ injury
Watkins could be seen holding his upper leg after trying to press the Salzburg defence midway through the first half. The England international continued for a little while but the decision was taken to withdraw him from any further action.
As Watkins walked down the touchline towards the tunnel, Lucas Digne came across and Watkins could be seen mouthing, ‘hamstring’. The striker then shook his head before he headed into the dressing room for treatment.
Emery was asked about it in his post-match press conference and he hopeful that it wasn’t anything serious. That could be true, though Emery was also optimistic about the likes of Kamara, McGinn and Tielemans. Look how those turned out.
"He felt something, but not a lot,” Emery said. “We will test him. Hopefully, we are thinking that is not a lot. I don't know if he will be available for Sunday.”
Should I sell Watkins in FPL?
Whether Watkins is available to take on Brentford this Sunday awaits to be seen, with the results of the forward’s tests likely to be kept private. But with such little time between the games, it’s probably fair to say Watkins is unlikely to play, even if it’s a very minor injury.
There’s simply no need to risk Watkins aggravating the problem, especially with new signing Tammy Abraham ready to hit the ground running. Signed from Besiktas for around £18.5 million, Abraham would love to mark his return to Villa Park with a start – and he could be granted his wish.
Fantasy Premier League managers with Watkins in their teams will be frustrated by the ‘flag’ that will have appeared next to his name. We would love to be able to offer reassurance that all is fine and he will play as usual, but that’s simply not possible at this stage.
Whether or not Watkins, valued at £8.8m in FPL, should be sold is another question. The 30-year-old is the third-most expensive forward in the game behind Erling Haaland (£15.0m) and Alexander Isak (£10.3m), so it’s a lot of budget to use up on a player who might not even be available.
Who should I buy to replace Watkins?
If managers do decide to sell Watkins, then Chelsea’s Joao Pedro (£7.2m) is the popular choice this gameweek. The Brazilian scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-2 Champions League win at Napoli midweek and he has formed a stellar partnership with the Blues’ star man, Cole Palmer.
Other choices around a similar price point FPL managers could consider are AFC Bournemouth’s Evanilson (£7.0m), Brentford’s Igor Thiago (£7.2m) and West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m). Or, in a change of structure, cheaper alternatives Kroupi Jr (£4.6m), Mateus Mane (£4.5m) of Brian Brobbey (£5.5m) could be good picks.
Abraham is even an option, listed at £6.0m. It may be a risk to bring him in as Watkins may only miss a game or two, but it could be a great short-term punt, especially as Villa take on Brentford (H), Bournemouth (A) and Brighton & Hove Albion (H) in their next three.