Champions League dreams for Aston Villa are in jeopardy as Unai Emery worries about Lucas Digne’s scan.
While the result alone was extremely disappointing, the misery was made worse by the fact that Lucas Digne was forced off early in the first half, which could see him sidelined for an extended period of time. Unai Emery’s side was unable to hold on to a 2-0 lead against Manchester United, ultimately losing 3-2. First goals from John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker gave Villa the upper hand at Old Trafford before a brace from Alejandro Garnacho and a first Premier League goal for Rasmus Hojlund completed the turnaround.
The French fullback, who slid into the goal in an attempt to stop Garnacho’s shot during the match against Manchester United, sustained a hamstring injury that will be examined by a scan on Wednesday.
Digne has started all one of Aston Villa’s 19 Premier League games this year, with the exception of one, and he has been crucial to the team’s early success at home under Emery.
In his 50 minutes on the field on Boxing Day, the 30-year-old won all of his aerial duels, crossed the ball twice to find a teammate, and even created a chance in a strong attacking performance.
This season, the Aston Villa fullback has been one of the most inventive defenders in the Premier League in the final third. With an average of 6.66 crosses in 90 minutes, Digne’s crosses attempted per game places him in the 94th percentile among full-backs in the division.
These balls into the penalty area almost always provide a significant goal threat as well. Digne is a vital component of Aston Villa’s creative work in possession, averaging more shot-creating actions per game than 86% of left-backs in the Premier League.
The 30-year-old has only managed to pick up two assists in his 18 Premier League games this season, but his performance has been worthy of more goal involvement.
Digne struggles in the 69th percentile for assists per ninety minutes, yet he places in the 90th percentile for predicted assists per game when compared to his positional contemporaries in the Premier League.
Thankfully, Alex Moreno was a more than capable backup at Old Trafford, giving his colleagues two opportunities after taking Digne’s place. He was only as successful in 50% of his duels when he was not in possession.
Against Brentford, Moreno’s lone league start of the season saw him win just three of his twelve duels while attempting zero tackles. Going forward, he might be able to equal Digne’s effect, but he hasn’t always been the best when not in possession.
Villa has to beat Burnley to get back on track, but their chances of making it to the Champions League this year may be severely hampered if Digne is sidelined for an extended amount of time after this scan.
Hopefully, the Frenchman won’t be the most recent player to be declared out for Aston Villa, as the team under Emery could face some difficult months ahead due to injuries.
