Official: ‘Indispensable’ Villa star can play in key games after FA decision

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Aston Villa have been granted permission from the Zimbabwe Football Association to retain Marvelous Nakamba until January 3rd.

As reported by the Zimbabwe Chronicle, the Premier League side have been granted permission to keep hold of the former Club Brugge star for the Christmas and New Year fixtures.

Steven Gerrard views the 27-year-old midfielder as ‘indispensable’ after establishing himself as a key player for the new Villa manager. And the Zimbabwe FA have allowed the Premier League club to keep Nakamba until the New Year.

Nakamba was set to leave Villa three days before their Boxing Day clash against Chelsea. However, the Zimbabwe FA have granted the midfielder permission to remain with the club, with general manager Wellington Mpandare eager for Premier League stat to continue his form in the English top-flight.

Mpandare said: “We looked into the matter and weighed the pros and cons. The fact that he will be playing competitive football at that level means a lot.

The Zimbabwe FA official added: “Because he is playing so well, we want him to bring his best form to the national team. So, we agreed to their (Villa’s) request, and Marve (Nakamba) will be joining the camp a bit later.”

Nakamba availability from Zimbabwe is massive for Villa

The form of Nakamba since Gerrard’s arrival has been nothing short of exceptional, with the midfielder looking like a new player after nearly two seasons of inconsistent performances under Dean Smith.

And this update from the Zimbabwe FA is a massive boost for Villa. The club’s form has been great under Gerrard, with the Villains winning three of the four games since the appointment of the former Rangers manager. And Nakamba’s performances have been key to this run.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see if other Premier League clubs follow suit in writing to African football associations asking for permission to retain players at the very last second. Yet for Villa, they have just landed a huge result in keeping Nakamba for three extra Premier League games.