Dean Smith has given an injury update on long-term Aston Villa absentees Tom Heaton and Wesley, saying their return will give him a healthy selection headache.
The pair haven’t featured for Villa since way back on New Year’s Day, when they both suffered cruciate ligament damage in the 2-1 win away to Burnley.
Both were expected to miss the vast majority of 2020 and that has proven to be the case.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, with quotes provided by the Birmingham Mail, Smith admitted Heaton is more likely to be back in the fold soon, saying that more options can only be a good thing:
His (Heaton’s) progress is ahead of Wesley. he has had a more sustained injury than Tom.
Tom is back with (Villa goalkeeping coach) Neil Cutler. I’m expecting him to be with our group next week and we’re looking at getting him some games.
Obviously when he’s back and flying he’ll give me a great problem, and a problem I actually enjoy having.
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Depth is such an important part of any Premier League squad, allowing managers to rotate and creating a healthy competitiveness between teammates.
Villa’s perfect start to the season has seen Smith largely be able to field the same starting lineup week in, week out, but he will know that a busy schedule will require plenty of tinkering.
Having Heaton and Wesley back will, therefore, be a massive boost, and the former will put pressure on Emiliano Martinez for a starting berth.
Wesley, meanwhile, will hope to be a strong rival to Ollie Watkins once he is back in contention, looking to build on a fairly luke-warm start to life in England that saw him score just six goals in 22 appearances for Villa.
