Aston Villa’s Unai Emery has left Ollie Watkins’ participation in Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest up in the air, with a final decision to be made late.
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The England forward, who played in Villa’s 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday, had to be substituted at halftime due to a ‘small injury,’ raising concerns about his availability for the weekend.
Emery clarified that a late decision would be based on Watkins’ condition after the team’s Friday training session.
“We trained yesterday, but it was a recovery day, and some players rested. We will train today and assess how everyone is feeling.
If Ollie trains normally and feels good, he will be available for tomorrow,” Emery explained during a Friday press conference.
Despite his recent injury setbacks, the 28-year-old Watkins has been a key player, scoring seven goals in 15 Premier League appearances.
However, he has struggled in the Champions League, failing to score in six matches. Emery pointed out that Watkins’ pre-season was disrupted due to his involvement with the England national team at Euro 2024, which affected his fitness at the start of the season.
“Ollie didn’t have his usual pre-season because he was with the national team, but he’s been progressing and contributing significantly to the team’s success,” said Emery.
“Although he started the season with some fitness concerns and small injuries, he has always been ready to help, and he’s been doing fantastic work.”Should Watkins be unavailable for the match,
