Aston Villa have been unstoppable at times under the guidance of Unai Emery, but their progress will be tested between now and the end of the season.
Last time out, the Villans defeated Nottingham Forest 4-2 at home, with Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz starring.
However, after their game against Luton Town this weekend, their attention will turn to the Europa Conference League, with the competition returning next week.
Villa’s squad depth will be tested to the maximum, but there was once a Villa player who would have significantly helped ease the injury blow to Boubacar Kamara.
Boubacar Kamara’s injury status
Kamara was enjoying a fantastic season at the heart of the Villa midfield, starting 20 games and developing a telepathic relationship with Luiz.
However, against Manchester United recently, the 24-year-old suffered a huge injury blow that is set to keep him out for the rest of the season, tearing his ACL.
The former Marseille star is an absolutely huge miss, and his absence has the potential to have a catastrophic impact on the side’s quest for European glory and a top-four spot in the Premier League.
Bar young prospect Tim Iroegbunam, John McGinn is the only replacement for Kamara in the entire Villa squad, but he isn’t exactly an outright defensive-minded midfielder like the French gem, with a figure of the past potentially having been an ideal candidate to fill that void…
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ByTom Lever Idrissa Gueye's record at Villa
In the summer of 2015, Idrissa Gueye swapped France for England, as he moved to Villa for a fee of £9m from Lille.
However, after making just 38 appearances and becoming known for his defensive tenacity with 4.1 tackles per game in the 2015/16 Premier League season, the Senegal star left Villa Park, joining Everton in 2016 for £7.1m.
Gueye would go on to show his qualities on Europe’s biggest stage during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, but he rejoined the Toffees at the start of last season.
During his time at the French Champions, the midfielder played 111 times, with former teammate Presnel Kimpembe full of praise for the 34-year-old:
“Gueye? He's a monster. He does us a lot of good in addition to being a hard worker, he is good technically.”
Fast forward to today, and Gueye would have been an excellent backup to Kamara, replacing the defensive security that the injured ace brought to the team, as can be seen in the table below showing the Everton star’s statistics from his recent performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2-2 draw.
Minutes
97
Pass accuracy
85%
Tackles
7
Interceptions
6
Duels won
11
It’s clear that Gueye would have been perfect alongside Luiz and much more suited to the defensive midfield role than McGinn.
Kamara boasts the most tackles and interceptions per game in the Villa squad this season; Sean Dyche’s number 27 would’ve most definitely provided similar attributes.
Blast from the Past
Football FanCast's Blast from the Past series takes a trip down memory lane. Do any of your classic icons of days gone by fit into a modern-day starting XI?
It’s always fascinating to think about what former players would be perfect for a current team, and Gueye would have been excellent in Emery’s side today.