The opening weekend of the 2022/23 Premier League season is finally upon us, and the first challenge for Aston Villa is away against newly promoted Bournemouth side at the Vitality Stadium.
After an unbeaten pre-season, Steven Gerrard and his squad head to the south coast for their first fixture, and will aim to start the campaign victorious as they emerge as current favourites leading up to the tie.
In this article, we will explore the all-important team news from both camps; discussing any injury concerns or suspensions between the two teams and the impact these may have on the contest. A predicted line-up piece will follow too – a new feature to the match previews – where I give my two cents on who we may see from the get-go for the upcoming match.
To start, let’s take a look at Aston Villa’s team news heading into the weekend, and (thankfully) it appears as if the bulk of the squad has come away from the grueling and relentless pre-season tests unscathed and unhurt. The only apparent long-term injury at the club concerns Jed Steer and his Achilles tendon tear suffered near the start of the year whilst on loan at EFL Championship side Luton Town. The ‘keeper is one of those who many would have forgotten still remains at the club and is a player who could be considered ‘deadwood’, given the recent signing of Swedish international Robin Olsen as No.1 Emi Martinez’s deputy.
The Carney Chukwumeka saga came to an abrupt end on Tuesday night, after the club confirmed the 18 year-old’s departure out of nowhere. ‘Chuk’ refused to sign a new deal at the club, and boss Steven Gerrard left the midfielder out of the club’s Australian tour as a result. With just a year left on his contract, both the club and player seemingly pushed for a move and Chelsea is the U19 World Cup Champion’s destination, despite a move across Europe expected. The fee is reported to be in the region of Β£15-20 million.
The return date for defender Kortney Hause is still up in the air, as the 27 year-old continues to work and recover at Bodymoor Heath, on the back of a successful knee operation. Hause missed all of the pre-season fixtures, however may have been involved in the behind closed doors fixture played against Fulham last Friday; a game played to build the fitness of the players who weren’t set to feature against Stade Rennais on the Saturday.
Another man who may have featured in this secretive tie was Keinan Davis, who was another absentee from the entirety of Villa’s known pre-season affairs due to injury. As a result, the striker remains a doubt for the game at the Vitality Stadium this weekend, and his future at the club is under scrutiny too, after it was confirmed that youngster Cameron Archer would remain in the first-team and be utilised throughout the season, behind forwards Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings.
Aside from those few concerns, and any possible unknown injuries, Steven Gerrard has a fully fit squad to take to the south-coast this weekend. New signings, including Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, are expected to feature alongside the other stars that are available ahead of the clash against Parker’s Cherries.
Speaking of, let’s discover who may be missing from the Bournemouth squad this weekend. The Cherries have made three new signings and it has been reported that two of them are battling for fitness and are likely absentees for the Premier League opener. Former West Ham defender Ryan Fredericks is one of the injured two, with the 30 year-old picking up a calf knock that has him set to miss the first couple of games.
The other struggled signing is midfielder Joe Rothwell who joined on a free from Blackburn Rovers at the start of the window. Rothwell, 27, hurt himself during a recent pre-season game against Bristol City, and his boss Scott Parker revealed post-match that “In the last game late on, he did a sprint and just felt a little something in his quad”, and “He won’t be ready for the start of the season.” as a result.
Aside from this, the Bournemouth side appears fit and ready to start the season as they prepare to battle for safety over the course of the campaign. Scott Parker has revealed that he is currently “frustrated” with the club’s lack of transfer activity days before the start of the season, and believes “at this present moment in time this squad is much weaker than it was when we got promoted.”
However, the boss will be relieved with the recent signing of tricky winger Marcus Tavernier, who joins from Middlesborough for a reported Β£10 million, and the other quality individuals at the club, including captain Lloyd Kelly and last season’s top scorer Dominic Solanke.
It is set to be a tough occasion for both sides, but Steven Gerrard first faces the difficult challenge of picking a starting eleven from his star-studded squad of players. I had a go at naming my predicted line-up myself, and the attempt can be seen below.
Do you agree with my selection? Who do you think should make the team for this weekend – any surprise inclusions? Let us know down in the comments section below, and be sure to keep an eye out for all the engaging pre and post-match videos throughout the week at https://www.youtube.com/c/UTVPODCAST and for more fan written content on https://utvpodcast.co.uk too. Up the Villa!
AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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