John McGinn has stated that he won’t rush back from injury as he prepares for his return to Aston Villa. Currently uncertain for the upcoming match against Fulham, the captain is taking a cautious approach to ensure a full recovery.
John McGinn’ Won’t Rush’ His Aston Villa Injury Return
John McGinn is eager to regain fitness for Aston Villa’s upcoming match against Bologna at Villa Park in the Champions League next week. With his family attending, the pressure is on! Captain McGinn has been sidelined for the last four games, including the victory against Bayern Munich, after suffering a hamstring injury in last month’s win over Wolves.
The Scot missed Steve Clarke’s Tartan Army squad during the recent international break due to his injury, but he hopes to have made significant progress in his recovery. Villa will face Fulham this weekend and then Bologna next week, marking the first two matches in a stretch of seven games across three competitions.
Since joining Villa in 2018, McGinn has rarely been unavailable, and his durability has been a significant asset for Unai Emery during the past 15 months, a period in which Villa has played more matches than usual in recent times.
McGinn’s brother Stephen, a former professional footballer like John, and their brother Paul have announced that the family plans to travel south for the Bologna match. This trip coincides with John and his twin sister Katie’s 30th birthday celebrations as Villa seeks their third consecutive Champions League victory. However, putting jokes aside, John is cautious about rushing back to avoid the risk of a relapse.
“Yeah, well, John and my sister Katie are 30 on Friday,” Stephen told Go Radio. “So we are planning to go down next week for the Bologna game in the Champions League. So he is under some domestic pressure to be fit for that one! But, nah, hamstrings are hamstrings. You are dictated, too; you can’t rush back a hamstring. You are another 4-6 weeks after that because you absolutely break down. You are not going to rush back.”
Stephen has been watching with admiration how Villa captain John and his teammates have performed under Emery. In less than two years, Emery has transformed the club from the struggles of the Premier League to competing at Europe’s highest level, including the Conference League.
He added: “Villa are having another excellent season and I think the manager [Emery] is just as good as anyone in the world. I think he is still underrated from where they’ve been years ago to think the are beating teams like Bayern Munich at home and Manchester United sitting in for a point to get up the road with a point at Villa Park. I think he is one of the best in the world.”
Aston Villa Star Uncertain for the Match Against Fulham
Aston Villa will travel to face Fulham this weekend in another important Premier League clash, as the Lions aim to uphold their position as a Champions League team after qualifying for the tournament last season.
Currently, Aston Villa is in fifth place, trailing Chelsea only in terms of goal difference. The competition for the Premier League top four will be tougher this season due to Chelsea’s improvements, but Aston Villa feels optimistic about their chances after a successful offseason.
The summer transfer window featured the signing of Jaden Philogene from Hull City, regarded as one of the most promising young attackers in England and Europe.
Aston Villa was in competition with Barcelona at one point for Philogene’s signature, but they successfully secured the young winger along with center midfielder Amadou Onana, outmaneuvering the Blaugrana.
Philogene has primarily come off the bench, but he has showcased his potential and can join exceptional striker prospect Jhon Duran as a game-changer when called upon.
According to Jacob Tanswell from The Athletic, Jaden Philogene is doubtful for the match against Fulham on Saturday due to an unspecified injury. While scans reportedly indicate that it is not a serious injury, Philogene may still miss this particular game.
Aston Villa can certainly manage without the 22-year-old winger, so the bigger concern may be the frustration with the England U-21 team for having Philogene participate in these international matches.
He’s already over 21 and has made senior appearances for a Champions League-level team like Aston Villa, so the playing time at the U21 level isn’t particularly beneficial for him and should ideally go to someone else.
Unai Emery voiced his frustration over the decision to have Philogene and others participate in these youth international matches. Now, the Aston Villa coach is missing a potentially key attacker for their game against a Fulham team that is currently eighth in the league and vying for European qualification.
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