Published: September 23, 2021 8:22 pm
Last Updated: September 23, 2021 8:45 pm
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has provided an update on the fitness of Leon Bailey, after the winger was forced out of the club’s win over Everton.
Cash sets rout in motion
The Villans of course returned to Premier League action last weekend.
On the back of an altogether hit-and-miss opening to 2021/22, which had seen them accrue just four points from an available twelve, Villa welcomed high-flying Everton to Villa Park, eyeing a return to form.
And, when all was said and done, get things back on track is precisely what the Claret and Blue managed.
An explosive 15-minute spell in the 2nd-half culminated in the hosts finding the net on a trio of occasions, to emerge on the right side of an impressive 3-0 result.
Matty Cash was first on target, before Lucas Digne’s own goal a short time later was added to by substitute Leon Bailey to round out the scoring fifteen minutes from time:
#AVFC are ripping #EFC apart! 🦁
Leon Bailey announces himself at Villa Park with a thumping strike to make it 3-0! 💥 pic.twitter.com/mKthXwljfr
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 18, 2021
Bailey ruled out
An otherwise stellar evening’s work for Dean Smith’s men, however, was soured by a concerning blow on the personnel front.
Summer signing Leon Bailey – on the back of a 20-minute cameo which saw the wide-man bag both a goal and assist – was forced to limp out of proceedings.
Speaking in a post-match interview, Bailey was subsequently drawn on his condition, and went on to reveal his hope that the injury wasn’t ‘anything too serious’:
‘I think it was from the shot, I think I hit it too hard! I started feeling a little bit stiff in my quad – I don’t think it’s anything too serious.’
🏥 | INJURY NEWS
🗣️ | Leon Bailey on his injury: “I think it was from the shot, I think I hit it too hard! I started feeling a little bit stiff in my quad – I don’t think it’s anything too serious.”#FFScout #FPL #GW5 #AVFC #AVLEVE pic.twitter.com/fbxi7ouhsZ
— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) September 18, 2021
In a blow for both player (who has endured a less than ideal start to life in England) and club alike, though, on Thursday evening, Dean Smith has confirmed Bailey’s injury to be more serious than was initially thought.
Speaking ahead of his side’s meeting with Manchester United this weekend, the Villans boss admitted that the Jamaican is likely to remain sidelined until at least the upcoming international break:
‘Leon has a strain which is likely to keep him out until after the international break. We would be hopeful that he would be available for the Wolves game but we will need to assess him nearer the time and see how he progresses over the next ten days or so.’
Dean Smith has confirmed that Leon Bailey will be sidelined with a thigh strain until after the October international break.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 23, 2021
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Chelsea FC | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 5 | 9 | 13 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| 6 | Everton FC | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | -3 | 9 |
| 8 | West Ham United | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| 9 | Brentford FC | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Watford FC | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 12 | Leicester City | 5 | -3 | 6 |
| 13 | Arsenal FC | 5 | -7 | 6 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 5 | -3 | 5 |
| 15 | Southampton FC | 5 | -2 | 4 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 5 | -7 | 3 |
| 18 | Newcastle United | 5 | -7 | 2 |
| 19 | Burnley FC | 5 | -6 | 1 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 5 | -12 | 0 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 3 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 3 |
| Lukaku, Romelu | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 3 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 3 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 3 |
| Greenwood, Mason | Manchester United | 3 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 2 |
| Fornals, Pablo | West Ham United | 2 |
| Torres, Ferran | Manchester City | 2 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 2 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 2 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper, Liam | Leeds United | 0 | 3 |
| Etebo, Oghenekaro | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 2 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 2 |
| Rodri | Manchester City | 0 | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 2 |
| Struijk, Pascal | Leeds United | 1 | 1 |
| Tanganga, Japhet | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 1 |
| Barnes, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Ward, Joel | Crystal Palace | 0 | 2 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 2 |
| Schar, Fabian | Newcastle United | 0 | 2 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 2 |
| Stephens, Jack | Southampton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 3 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 3 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 2 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| Pereira, Ricardo | Leicester City | 2 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 1 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 1 |
| Fornals, Pablo | West Ham United | 1 |
| Torres, Ferran | Manchester City | 1 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 1 |
