Injuries
Ollie Watkins
Smith said Villa will be guided by the striker after he left the field early in their final pre-season game with a knee injury. He hadn’t made enough of a recovery to feature in the 3-2 defeat against Watford, and Smith was reluctant to pin a date down for his return, although he is hopeful he could play some part against Newcastle.
Dean Smith said: “We`re not too sure about Ollie at the moment. He went off with a knee injury which was bone bruising, so if he’s pain free he’ll train, if he’s not then he won’t train and he won’t be available. So we`ll pretty much be guided by Ollie himself.”
Trezequet
Following surgery on his knee in April, Villa are not expecting the Egyptian back any time soon.
Dean Smith said: “He’s had a significant knee injury which is normally nine months. We never like to put a time frame on injuries but that’s the average time to come back. Some come back earlier, some come back later.”
The England striker missed their season opener at Watford after picking up a knee injury in a pre-season friendly with Salernitana. Dean Smith said his staff would monitor his progress this week ahead of Saturday’s fixture with Newcastle at Villa Park. He is currently one of three Villa players undergoing treatment, but neither forward Trezeguet nor midfielder Morgan Sanson are expected to be in contention for this weekend’s match.
