Unai Emery, manager of Aston Villa, has provided an initial update on Diego Carlos, who limped off in our 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar.
The 30-year-old scored his first goal for the club in the second half, bringing us level, before Ollie Watkins turned it around to secure all three points in our Europa Conference League clash.
Carlos made a rare start, but he impressed throughout in addition to his goal-scoring exploits, which would have been a huge boost for Emery, who will need to rotate and use his squad moving forward.
Unfortunately, there was a setback in the latter stages of the game, as Carlos went down again and required treatment before being replaced, despite initially appearing to have picked up a knock.
It was hoped that the decision was merely precautionary and that he had not suffered any serious injuries, and the initial indications from Emery after the game suggest that, while additional tests will be required, it does not appear to be a major concern.
“He was telling us about a minor issue. “Hopefully not a major injury, but we’ll have to monitor him,” Emery said in his post-match press conference.
The fact that Carlos himself suggested that it might be a ‘small’ problem is reassuring, as he’ll know his own body best and whether or not it could be an issue that keeps him out for an extended period of time.
As Emery points out, additional scans and tests will be performed to determine the full extent of the problem, and it’s hoped that they come back clear, as we’ll certainly need the Brazilian ace moving forward as he looks to regain form and momentum.
Carlos’ physicality, aerial strength, reading of the game, and distribution all stood out in the win, and if he can produce that level of performance on a consistent basis and stay healthy, he will be a big presence for us this season.
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