Aston Villa have been given a major boost ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as Birmingham Live reported that Bjorn Engels is in contention to feature after recovering from a nine-month injury layoff.
The 26-year-old has made 19 appearances in all competitions since joining Villa on a five-year deal from Reims in 2019 but hasn’t turned out for the Midlands outfit since March. Engels suffered a shin injury which kept him out for the remainder of last season and he hasn’t made an appearance so far this term.
Dean Smith has included Engels in the matchday squad on three occasions but didn’t introduce the centre-back from the bench.
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Whether the Belgian will end his nine-month wait for a return to action on Saturday remains to be seen, as Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have been regulars in defence and are available.
Engels’ contract runs until 2024 but it remains to be seen whether he has a long-term future at Villa Park. Kortney Hause will return from injury soon and will provide added competition for places, so the Belgian centre-back has a battle on his hands to obtain regular game-time this season.
In other news, Dean Smith sets possible return date for another Aston Villa player who has been on the treatment table.
