Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos has broken his silence after sustaining another injury setback.
The Brazilian has been dealt some rotten luck during his spell in the West Midlands, with a ruptured Achilles ending his 2022/23 season before it had properly started.
This season has been much-improved on the injury front for the 30-year-old, with Carlos managing 17 appearances under Unai Emery.
However, the £26million signing suffered a hamstring issue in training this week and is set for another spell on the sidelines.
Ahead of the Villans’ Premier League clash against Fulham on Saturday, the defender has spoken out for the first time since sustaining the injury.
Diego Carlos breaks Aston Villa injury silence
Emery’s side head to West London looking to bounce back from their most recent loss to Manchester United.
However, the Spaniard must rejig his defence, with Carlos joining Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa in the treatment room.
On Saturday morning, the Brazilian wrote to X: “Sad to be injured again. Working hard to get right back. Big game today for us. Vamos.
Villa will likely line up with Clement Lenglet and Pau Torres in the centre of defence.
Lenglet has become a regular recently and has even been linked with a permanent move to Villa Park at the end of the season.
Torres is set to make his first start of 2024 after recovering from an ankle issue that has blighted his recent progress.
Talking ahead of the fixture, the Villa boss admitted that the growing injury list is unlike anything he’s ever seen.
“I can never remember a time like this,’ he told The Daily Mail.
“It’s not an excuse. When injuries happen, I always accept it, but of course, this is the worst. We are human, and of course, we are going to support the players, particularly with ACL injuries.”
He added: “But we have [to] accept it and keep going. We be positive, we work, and try to support the players who will have chances.”
Luckily, Villa’s recruitment has put them in a strong place. To have a £33million signing waiting in the wings shows the strength in depth at Emery’s disposal.
Looking forward, Torres and Lenglet will play an essential role between now and the end of the season. Champions League qualification will remain firmly on the agenda if the duo can form a solid partnership.
