Aston Villa star Ross Barkley says he is not far off after long injury lay-off | OneFootball

Aston Villa have been struck by injuries that decimated the first team, leaving manager Unai Emery short of options in key positions.

Villa beat Chelsea 2-1 on Saturday, but the win came at a cost, with Morgan Rogers and Tyrone Mings potentially picking up knocks.

The Villain midfield trio Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana were unavailable for the Chelsea game.

The situation around Barkley has been quite confusing. He picked up what looked like a calf problem and was substituted in the first half of the Villa FA Cup win over West Ham United.

Barkley has made 23 appearances in all competitions since signing from Luton Town for £5 million in the summer, proving a valuable rotation option for the Villains.

However, the 31-year-old, who was supposed to be out for around a month, has now missed eight weeks of action. Emery confirmed that even though he is nearing a return, he will not be ready as Villa prepare for their mid-week clash with Crystal Palace.

Barkley decided to shed light on his injury when one fan confronted Villa journalist Jacob Tanswell about his situation on Twitter, clarifying that he is dealing with an MCL tear on top of the calf issue before reiterating that he is not far off.

Villa had only Youri Tielemans and John McGinn in the engine room against Chelsea, with no options on the bench for Emery to call upon.

Villa need midfield reinforcement. They must recover players, especially the central trio and England youth international Rogers.

Emery hopes to have the influential Rogers back for the game against Palace, but he needs to be passed fit by the medical department.

However, there is no news on Mings, who recently returned from a long-term injury lay-off. Villa fans and coaches will cross their fingers, hoping it is nothing serious.