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BIRMINGHAM. — Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba will “certainly” have returned by the time Aston Villa face Leicester City in the English Premiership football on April 23 — but he could even be back sooner.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Nakamba (28) has missed 18 matches with a medial collateral knee ligament injury sustained in December last year.
The midfielder began a phases return to full training over the international break.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard told club media last Friday that the Zimbabwean is “smiling, and getting closer and closer.”
Dinnery suggests that Nakamba even has an “outside chance” of playing a part as Villa host Tottenham on Saturday.
“It’s not like we have to be overly cautious as we would with a muscular issue,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“With the knee, as long as the integrity of the structure is sound, it is just a case of building fitness.
“He has played for the Under-23s. So you couldn’t rule out the possibility of him making the matchday squad soon.
“If not for the Tottenham game, then he’s certainly going to be available for that Leicester fixture.
“But he has an outside chance of being involved in the matchday squad this weekend, although it wouldn’t be a start.”
Nakamba has 14 appearances in all competitions this term.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard should have Lucas Digne available after the left-back was forced out of Saturday’s 2-1 derby defeat at Wolves with a stomach complaint.
Nakamba’s return will deliver a timely boost to Gerrard and bolster a Villa midfield which has become the subject of increasing scrutiny during a season now threatening to fizzle out.
Former Villa coach Dean Smith had rarely favoured the Zimbabwe international during his final months at the helm in Birmingham. But Nakamba quickly established himself as a key figure in the Aston Villa engine room following Gerrard’s arrival during the November international fixtures.
Of the 28-year-old’s 12 Premier League appearances and eight starts so far this season, he opened five of a possible five under Gerrard.
Saturday could now see that run end with an outing from the bench, as Nakamba eyes playing a part to some extent at home to Spurs.
Gerrard will surely be buzzing with Aston Villa hopeful Nakamba will make his return from injury on Saturday against Tottenham. Douglas Luiz took over the middle role in the engine room in December, but the Brazilian has struggled to consistently take control of matches.
That was seldom the case with Nakamba during Gerrard’s first spate of fixtures at the Villa Park helm. A period in which the 26-cap anchor’s displays stunned his new manager vastly.
“He’s been fantastic,” Gerrard said, via quotes by Birmingham Live. “He’s been really open, his two performances have been outstanding. We were aware of Marvelous before we came in, but he’s somebody who has really stood up and jumped out.”
Kortney Hause, Lucas Digne and Danny Ings are also sidelined, but all are in the frame to return against Tottenham. — Footballinsider247.com.
Online Reporter