.
Join Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter and receive it in your email for no charge.
Join Miguel Delaney’s mailing list for his weekly newsletter at no cost.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery stated that Ollie Watkins’ knee injury, which occurred during their 4-0 victory over Ajax with a 10-man team, was “nothing more than a minor cut.”
Watkins, named in England boss Gareth Southgate’s latest squad earlier on Thursday, headed Villa in front in the 25th minute, having already sustained the injury in a challenge with Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.
However, the ex-Brentford forward was forced off the field after only eight minutes and had to observe as his fellow players dominated in the latter half of the match. Goals from Leon Bailey, John Duran, and Moussa Diaby secured a victory, ultimately eliminating any chances of a draw in the second leg of the tie.
It propelled Villa to their initial quarter-final appearance in Europe since 1998, and the positive update on Watkins’ injury will surely elevate their spirits even further.
“The knee injury is not severe, just a minor cut,” stated manager Unai Emery. “He may be able to play on Sunday, but we will have to wait until tomorrow and Saturday for a final decision.”
Villa took the lead thanks to Watkins’ goal, setting them up for a victory that became even more attainable in the second half after Ajax’s squad was reduced to 10 players.
At that moment, Villa had a 2-0 lead thanks to Bailey’s goal, securing Duran and Diaby’s advancement to the next round.
The Spaniard emphasized our respect towards them as we faced them at Villa Park with our supporters, striving to outshine the opposition with our skills on the field.
“After the red card, the second half became easier for us. We are pleased because we are highly motivated in this competition.”
Reworded: Devyne Rensch, a defender for Ajax, was honest in his evaluation of his team’s elimination.
He expressed disappointment that their team will not be able to compete or win any cups, as they are accustomed to.
”
“It’s quite disheartening and frustrating, it’s unexpected and should not be occurring, but we must continue forward.”
As Ajax, we are always considered top contenders for winning prestigious awards. However, this season, things are not going in our favor and it is hard to come to terms with that.
Source: independent.co.uk
