Explanation provided for Leon Bailey’s Aston Villa absence vs Newcastle
An explanation for summer addition Leon Bailey’s absence from Aston Villa’s matchday squad on Saturday has been forthcoming this evening.
Ings on target
Dean Smith’s men were of course back in action a short time ago.
The Claret and Blue welcomed Newcastle United to Villa Park, for the club’s 2nd Premier League outing of the campaign.
Villa headed into proceedings eyeing a bounce-back result, having fallen to an altogether disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Watford last time out.
And, when all was said and done in Aston, bounce back is precisely what the hosts managed.
A tightly contested affair ultimately saw quality prove telling, as strikes from Danny Ings (a stunning bicycle kick) and Anwar El Ghazi guided Villa to a 2-0 victory.
This bicycle kick from Danny Ings was FILTHY 😳 @brfootball
(via @NBCSportsSoccer)pic.twitter.com/OlKWW9B50z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2021
Bailey latest
An otherwise positive afternoon for all associated with the Villans, however, was soured to at least some degree by the absence of one of the club’s summer additions from Dean Smith’s matchday squad to face Newcastle.
The player in question? Leon Bailey.
Explosive wide-man Bailey of course came as just one of a number of exciting reinforcements to Villa’s frontline this summer, alongside Emiliano Buendia and the aforementioned Ings.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Emiliano Buendia of Aston Villa looks on during the Pre-Season Friendly between Stoke City and Aston Villa at bet365 Stadium on July 24, 2021 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
In turn, after marking his debut with an assist off the bench last time out, enthusiasm spread this week that the Jamaican could be included from the off to face the Magpies.
His complete omission from the club’s latest 20-man panel therefore came as something of a blow.
As outlined above, though, an explanation for Bailey missing out on Saturday has since been forthcoming.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, Villa boss Smith confirmed that the attacker recently picked up a hamstring issue in training, with the club having therefore not been willing to ‘risk’ his participation:
Dean Smith reveals Leon Bailey felt his hamstring in training yesterday: “He had an injury in the summer playing for Jamaica and it just tightened up in training and we just can’t risk it.”
🚑 Table: https://t.co/sxhomfaRoh#AVFC
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) August 21, 2021
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