Aston Villa have delivered some positive news on French midfielder Boubacar Kamara ahead of Saturday’s clash against Everton.
Following the season’s first international break, Aston Villa host Everton at Villa Park looking to build on their solid start.
Unai Emery’s men have secured victories over West Ham and Leicester City either side of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, with the Villans cementing their place in seventh position.
Villa now host an out-of-form Everton side on Saturday evening, who have lost each of their opening three matches, including a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton.
That will fill many with confidence in securing three points this weekend, especially with positive news coming out of the club.
- READ MORE: ‘Special’ player now has golden opportunity to cement Aston Villa starting role vs Everton
Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara has returned to training
Boubacar Kamara ruptured his ACL in the defeat against Manchester United in February and the Frenchman was a huge miss for Emery in the final months of the campaign.
Although Champions League football was secured without him, his ‘quality’ defensively was a void that couldn’t be filled by any other player.
Kamara, much like defender Tyrone Mings, has endured a long and hard road to recovery, with the 24-year-old undergoing surgery.
Expected to be out until October after sustaining such a horrible injury, it was revealed at the end of August by Emery that Kamara was ‘progressing a lot’ and was weeks away from returning to training.
Now, in Tuesday’s training pictures, the French midfielder was seen participating with his teammates and Villa’s official account wrote: “Boubacar Kamara was a welcome addition to training on Tuesday as Aston Villa continued their hard work during the international period.
“The midfielder has been stepping up his recovery from a significant knee ligament injury sustained in February.
“And Kamara, for the first time this season, joined the start of training on the grass with his Villa team-mates, including centre-back Tyrone Mings following his own rehabilitation.”
Boubacar Kamara will be crucial in the Champions League
Villa fans will have to be patient but once he gets back up to speed and full match sharpness, Kamara will be a crucial weapon in the Champions League.
In the group phase of the competition, Aston Villa face tough tests at home against Bayern Munich and Juventus; two of Europe’s biggest powerhouses.
Therefore, Emery will need the defensive solidity of Kamara in those fixtures, in particular, as he’ll act as an extra layer of protection for the back line.
Last season, he formed an instrumental partnership with Douglas Luiz and this inspired them to finish in the top four.
Now they’re competing at Europe’s top table, Kamara’s ability to read the game and win possession back for his team will be integral components that can contribute to their success.
