Aston Villa have been handed a reassuring update regarding the ankle injury picked up by left-back, Lucas Digne, while away on international duty for France.
According to a recent report from L’Equipe, Digne’s injury is not as serious as first thought and is only expected to keep him sidelined for the next two to three weeks.
So far this season, Digne has been the only outfield player at the Midlands club to play every minute of Premier League action, which highlights just how important he is for Steven Gerrard.
Across his seven league appearances, the Frenchman has put himself in the top five for the average of tackles (2.3), interceptions (1.4), clearances (2.3) and blocks (0.6) per game he’s made, showing how much of an impact he has on the team in a defensive sense.
Having also delivered more crosses (28) than any other player at the club, the 29-year-old has also shown how effective he can be in an attacking sense as well as being a useful defender.
This suggests that while his absence over the next couple of weeks will be a big blow for the team, it will be a relief for Gerrard that the full-back isn’t going to be out of action for a long time.
For the time being, it seems as though the Villa boss could turn to summer signing, Ludwig Augustinsson, for his first taste of Premier League action while Digne recovers.
Next up for Villa in the Premier League is a clash against Leeds United, who have the joint-fifth highest rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (4.67) in the league, which suggests that having the Frenchman’s defensive talent out of the team could make it a tricky game for the Villans.
However, looking at the bigger picture, only having Digne out for two to three weeks is a lot better than having him out on a long-term basis.
