Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker could return for the Villans’ clash with Bournemouth at Villa Park this weekend, injury expert Ben Dinnery has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
The 27-year-old has been absent from Unai Emery’s squad for the past two games with a hand injury.
Aston Villa injury news – Leander Dendoncker
Before Villa’s 1-1 draw at West Ham United last weekend, Emery spoke about Dendoncker’s chances of featuring in the fixture following a “domestic accident.”
“Dendoncker had a domestic accident, he is progressing this week, training with us but not involved in the normal training sessions. We will have to wait and he is a doubt,” Emery told the media (via Express & Star).
The midfielder was absent from the squad that travelled to the London Stadium and will be frustrated, given his already limited number of minutes in the starting lineup this season.
But Dinnery believes that Dendoncker could be available this weekend due to the fact that he wasn’t immediately ruled out of last Sunday’s trip to east London.
What has Dinnery said about Dendoncker’s injury?
When speaking about the potential for a Dendoncker return this weekend, Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT: “He wasn’t categorically ruled out of the game against West Ham. There was a suggestion that he could have maybe made the squad.
“So, that’s a fairly good indication that we’re probably looking at something which isn’t too serious. We could expect him back in and around the squad maybe this weekend.”
What next for Villa and Dendoncker?
Back in October, respected journalist Pete O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT that Dendoncker was “desperate” for an opportunity to impress then-head coach Steven Gerrard following his £13m transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer.
However, the 31-cap Belgium international has struggled to make an impact under the management of both Gerrard and Emery, having played in just 24% of available Premier League minutes across 17 appearances this term.
The 6 foot 2 star does compare favourably to his positional peers in some aspects of his game, ranking in the top 14% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for pass success rate (87.4%) and top 21% for non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes (0.13) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Therefore, Dendoncker will hope he is fit enough to return to the matchday squad for Saturday’s clash with Bournemouth as he looks to force his way into Emery’s long-term thinking at Villa Park.
