Aston Villa have been dealt a potential injury blow to one of their key players.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Athletic, Lucas Digne has withdrawn from the France squad after picking up an ankle issue.

Should the defender find himself out of action for a significant period of time which would force him out of Villa’s next Premier League game against Leeds United, this would surely be a blow for Steven Gerrard.

Digne’s importance to Villa

Villa signed Digne from fellow top-flight club Everton in January transfer in a deal worth a reported £25m. After arriving at Villa Park, the left-back appeared in all but three of the club’s remaining Premier League games of last season, providing four assists in the process.

In the current campaign, the 29-year-old has completed the full 90 minutes in all seven of Villa’s league games, highlighting how important he is to the team and to Gerrard.

To further showcase what he offers the Villans on the pitch, no other defender at the club can match combined total of tackles and interceptions that Digne has racked up this term (22).

Looking ahead to Villa’s next league match against Leeds once the current international break finishes, the fact that only five clubs in the division have a higher rate of shots per 90 minutes than Jesse Marsch’s team (13.17) this season suggests that Gerrard’s side could have a tough game on their hands.

With that in mind and considering Digne’s clear defensive capabilities, his presence would surely give Villa a better chance of securing a positive result against the Yorkshire club.

Therefore, it would be safe to assume that everyone at Villa Park will undoubtedly be hoping that the Frenchman’s injury is not a serious one and that he will be available to play against Leeds.