Aston Villa will monitor Marvelous Nakamba throughout the week in the hope he returns from a lengthy injury when Steven Gerrard’s side host Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday.
That’s according to the Express & Star, who report the Villans are hopeful Nakamba is able to play his first game in some capacity since December. The midfielder has missed the last four months after undergoing knee surgery after a Player of the Month-worthy November.
Nakamba stepped up his rehabilitation from the operation by playing an hour for the Villa Park natives’ Under-23s last Friday. He had not played a second of competitive action since the £11m former Club Brugge star underwent surgery following 14 appearances this term.
Dean Smith had rarely favoured the Zimbabwe international during his final months at the helm in Birmingham. But Nakamba quickly established himself as a key figure in the Aston Villa engine room following Gerrard’s arrival during the November international fixtures.
Of the 28-year-old’s 12 Premier League appearances and eight starts so far this season, he opened five of a possible five under Gerrard. Saturday could now see that run end with an outing from the bench, as Nakamba eyes playing a part to some extent at home to Spurs.
Aston Villa hopeful Marvelous Nakamba will make injury return this Saturday
Gerrard will surely be buzzing with Aston Villa hopeful Nakamba will make his return from injury on Saturday against Tottenham. Douglas Luiz took over the middle role in the engine room in December, but the Brazilian has struggled to consistently take control of matches.
That was seldom the case with Nakamba during Gerrard’s first spate of fixtures at the Villa Park helm. A period in which the 26-cap anchor’s displays stunned his new manager vastly.
“He’s been fantastic,” Gerrard said, via quotes by Birmingham Live. “He’s been really open, his two performances have been outstanding. We were aware of Marvelous before we came in, but he’s somebody who has really stood up and jumped out.”
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