Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins managing knee pain since start of last season, Unai Emery says
Ollie Watkins has been managing ongoing knee pain for over a year but will not require surgery, said Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
Watkins, who has scored one goal this season in 19 games across all competitions and dating further back, two goals in his previous 24 appearances, has toiled for form and rhythm.
In Sunday’s 1-0 victory against Wolves, Watkins was dropped for the first time in the Premier league this term, with Donyell Malen taking his place.
The Villa forward was omitted from the England squad for November’s international fixture, with head coach Thomas Tuchel stating Watkins was “playing in discomfort.”
When asked on Tuesday as to what the factors were behind Watkins’ lean patch, Emery acknowledged both a lack of confidence and an ongoing knee issue which he has been managing for more than 12 months.
“He’s keeping a small pain in his knee (from) last year when we started the season in August.” said Emery, speaking before his side’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.
“He was feeling more or less the same pain he’s feeling now. (Back then) we needed Jhon Duran as a second striker. He scored goals and helped the team.
“Now he (Watkins) is feeling the same pain. He’s not feeling the 100 per cent — we are trying to manage it with him.
“We are trying to get him completely without pain — and through this, to feel better again, and having the confidence to score goals.
“We want him to get the best fitness, with no pain and playing consistently. For example, yesterday he did not train. We kept him inside, only with the physios, but he will be available for tomorrow. We are trying to get some moments of rest for him.
“He won’t have surgery. For this pain he needs rest.”
Watkins’ performances have been a regular talking point, with Villa struggling to create clear-cut openings generally and Watkins proving a peripheral figure in the side’s attacking patterns.
Emery backed his striker to turn his form around, irrespective of the knee issue. As Villa’s only traditional No 9, Watkins is looked upon as a key source of goals, with The Athletic reporting at the start of the season that club staff felt a heavy amount of Villa’s attacking burden would fall on Morgan Rogers and Watkins’ shoulders, owing to the difficulties of the summer transfer window.
“He can play,” added Emery. “Hopefully he can feel 100 per cent well and only focus on his play and not on his pain.
“Ollie Watkins has my confidence. Completely my confidence. He is always doing his task, maybe he’s under his normal confidence because he is not scoring, but he is never giving up, always doing his task. The goals are coming.”
Villa face Brighton on Wednesday, having won five games in a row across all competitions.
