Uncertainty Surrounds Ollie Watkins' Availability for Aston Villa's Clash with Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, has confirmed that the status of forward Ollie Watkins for Saturday’s fixture against Nottingham Forest will be decided shortly before kick-off. Watkins played a pivotal role in Villa's thrilling 3-2 triumph over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, yet he had to exit the match at half-time due to a minor injury, prompting concerns about his fitness for the upcoming encounter.
During the post-match press conference, Emery acknowledged that Watkins' injury could significantly impact his availability this weekend. “We are going to train this afternoon, and after that, we will decide how the players are,” he explained. “We trained yesterday, but it was a recovery day for some players. Today, we will train and assess how Ollie is doing. I don’t know if he’s going to be available. He was recovering yesterday, and if he trains normally today and feels good, he will be in contention for tomorrow’s match.”
Watkins has had a promising season thus far, netting seven goals in 15 Premier League appearances. However, he has encountered difficulties in the Champions League, where he has yet to score in six outings. Emery suggested that Watkins’ performances may have been impacted by his involvement with the England national team during Euro 2024, which potentially hampered his pre-season preparations. “Ollie started the season with different circumstances,” Emery remarked. “Usually, he would have a pre-season with the club, but he was with the national team, which is a testament to his improving performance and steps forward in his career.”
The manager also revealed that Watkins returned to the squad with some fitness challenges at the season's outset. “He began a little behind in terms of fitness and was dealing with some minor pains and injuries. Nevertheless, he was always ready to help the team and has progressively become better,” Emery noted.
Should Watkins be unable to participate against Forest, Jhon Duran is poised to step into the starting line-up. Duran replaced Watkins during the match against Leipzig and made an impactful contribution by scoring his 10th goal of the season across all competitions. Emery expressed confidence in his squad's strength, stating, “We have two important strikers—one with significant potential and another who consistently delivers, even if he’s not at 100 percent. His contribution has been vital to our success in every match. I cannot speak negatively about Watkins; his commitment to the team is exceptionally high."
As Aston Villa gears up for their next encounter, all eyes will be on the club’s final training session, where clarity regarding Watkins’ involvement will soon emerge.