(Reuters) – Aston Villa will be without attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey for the remainder of the season due to a toe injury, while England striker Ollie Watkins is set to return for the upcoming match against Brentford, according to manager Unai Emery on Friday.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was absent in the team’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City due to illness, is also back in the squad for the upcoming fixture, Emery confirmed.
Emery told reporters, “Jacob Ramsey is again with some problems in his toe, he is not going to be available for the rest of the season. Emi (Martinez) and Ollie (Watkins) are included in the squad for tomorrow.”
He added, “We will prepare for the match in the final 24 hours and tomorrow we will know if they’re available and ready to play.”
Watkins, who sat out the City game with a hamstring injury, is currently Villa’s top scorer in the league with 16 goals.
As it stands, Villa are in fourth place with 59 points from 31 matches, holding a two-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur who have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Brentford sit in 15th place with 28 points, six points clear of the relegation zone.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
