This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Aston Villa are set to be without one of their most influential players for the next couple of weeks as captain Jack Grealish faces a spell on the sidelines through injury.
The 24-year-old limped off against Manchester City with a suspected calf issue, and despite contrasting reports in the press this week, he will surely only feature if fully fit – which seems unlikely given he required crutches post-game.
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The Daily Mail claim he could be out for two weeks, meaning he’ll miss Saturday’s game against league leaders Liverpool.
His form in recent weeks has been exceptional, scoring two goals and assisting one in his last three outings, per WhoScored.
On the Chalkboard
The skipper has been playing on the left-wing over the last few matches, so it will be down to Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi to fill the void left behind – Jota is also out injured.
El Ghazi has scored two and assisted three this campaign, so he’ll need to keep on doing what he’s doing, but on the other hand, the Egyptian has been far from decent.
Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…
In nine appearances, Trezeguet has failed to register a single goal despite averaging 1.8 shots per game, which is the exact same number as Grealish, only the Englishman has actually stuck the ball in the net.
On top of that, only Wesley (2.3) records more unsuccessful touches than the 25-year-old (1.8), although that’s somewhat viable considering he plays as a sole striker.
Most damning of all is the fact that Trezeguet averages a measly 13 passes per game, which is the lowest of any player at Villa to start six or matches in the Premier League this term.
That’s astounding and only goes to show just how ineffective he is in matches.
The winger will need to seriously improve otherwise Dean Smith will harshly feel the repercussions of Grealish’s injury, and will probably rue the missed opportunity to sign another attacker during the summer window.