Sports
Sports
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Preseason Friendly – Stoke City v Aston Villa – bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom – July 24, 2021 Aston Villas Ollie Watkins in action with Ben Wilmot of Stoke City via Reuters / Ed Sykes
LONDON: Aston Villa could miss striker Ollie Watkins for his Premier League opener at newly promoted Watford on Saturday, but new signing Emiliano Buendia is fit, manager Dean Smith said at a press conference on Friday.
Watkins injured in a friendly against Salernitana on the knee and Smith said it was a touch-and-go to see if he would be available. that was bruised. So if he’s pain free today he’ll exercise; if not, he won’t exercise and « he won’t be available.
Buendia, owned by Norwich City for a fee of around £ 43 million ($ 59.37 million r), has recovered from a niggle, says Smith.
« Emi had a minor injury so we didn’t risk him in the game against Salernitana, but he is available, he has been training all week », Smith said.
Playmaker Buendia is expected to follow in the footsteps of Jack Grealish, who signed a record £ 100m deal for champions Manchester City.
Smith says while it was disappointing, club -Talisman Grealish to lose, but the signings of players like Buendia, striker Danny Ings and winger Leon Bailey mean the squad is actually in better shape than last season.
« That was the most important thing for us we’ve added depth to the squad this season, « said Smith. « We felt like we had an XI that could play against anyone, including the top teams from last season. Now we have more variety, more adaptability and more depth, and that’s really important for us this season .
« Of course it’s a big loss if Jack leaves, we wanted to keep him here. But I think we’re in a good place, our business was good, we raised £ 100m for a young lad who graduated from the academy here, « at Aston Villa. And we made him a record-breaking UK transfer. »
This service is not intended for people residing in the EU. By clicking « Subscribe » I consent to receive news and promotional materials from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners.
We know switching browsers can be a chore, but we want your experience with CNA to be fast, safe, and as good as possible.
To continue, upgrade to a supported one Browser or download the mobile app for the best experience.
Keywords:
