Kortney Hause: Expert issues ‘huge’ Aston Villa claim after news from Canada
Aston Villa star Kortney Hause could return after the international break but has a “huge” task to displace his rivals for defensive spots.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Hause, 26, has not featured in any of Villa’s last eight matches and did not make the matchday squad in the last three.
Per club media last Friday (18 March), Steven Gerrard revealed that an abdominal issue would cause him to miss out against Arsenal the next day.
Birmingham Live reported today (24 March) that the centre-back is currently receiving treatment at a sports science facility in Toronto, Canada.
Dinnery argues that, while his setback is not too severe, it will be difficult to muscle his way back into contention for the first XI.
“He is down the pecking order,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“Hause has got a huge job on his hands trying to upset that order. He’s squarely behind Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa is the first-choice pairing.
“Callum Chambers has also proved he is more than capable of stepping up when needed.
“That puts Kortney Hause as the fourth choice, so there’s no need for Steven Gerrard to push things too hard and rush him back.
“My understanding is that the injury itself isn’t too serious. He could potentially be back after the break, if not by mid-April.
“But is he going to be pushing for a start? Unlikely unless there is another injury to a centre-back or a suspension.”
Hause has played nine times this season, scoring once.
January signing Chambers has already played six times for Villa, while Mings and Konsa have featured 28 and 25 times respectively.
In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor claims Steven Gerrard is a “caged animal” after controversial Aston Villa footage emerges.