Aston Villa have been absolutely fantastic all season long, with Unai Emery guiding his team to fourth in the Premier League.
Their latest victory occurred at the weekend, as Lucas Digne scored a late winner to defeat Luton Town 3-2 on the road.
Ezri Konsa returned to the starting lineup after a spell on the sidelines, and Ollie Watkins netted his 15th and 16th league goals of the campaign.
However, one individual picked up another setback to add to the list of injuries suffered by the Villans over the last month.
Jacob Ramsey’s latest injury
After winning the U21 European Championships with England in the summer, Jacob Ramsey was meant to go to a whole new level this season, but he has been unable to due to reasons out of his control.
At the start of the campaign, the Villa academy star suffered a foot injury that saw him miss eight games, and since November, he’s been slowly building himself up, making 16 Premier League appearances.
However, the 22-year-old was forced off in the 29th minute against the Hatters due to injury, and he was seen leaving the ground in a protective boot.
There has been no further update on his current issue, but his involvement in the huge European clash against Ajax seems unlikely, and therefore, someone is going to have to take his role in the starting lineup.
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ByRoss Kilvington Youri Tielemans could replace Ramsey
Youri Tielemans has been one of the bargains of the season, with Villa signing the Belgian international on a free transfer from Leicester City in the summer.
Since his move to the Villans, the “outrageous” star, as dubbed by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, has featured 33 times across all competitions, and despite being a midfielder, Emery has fielded him in a second striker role recently, playing just off Watkins.
Villa were already stretched in the midfield department because of the season-ending injury to Boubacar Kamara last month, so the added Ramsey problem may force Tielemans further back.
Luckily, the 26-year-old is a central midfielder by trade, with his FBref scouting report from last season in the Premier League showcasing his ability as a box-to-box eight.
Passes completed
50.03
Top 20%
Progressive passes
6.95
Top 14%
Passes into final third
6.49
Top 8%
Tackles
2.53
Top 27%
Ball recoveries
7.49
Top 17%
As you can see, Tielemans has a versatile profile that not only allows him to be a threat in the final third but also enables him to provide defensive security to the side.
Ramsey’s injury means that we could see Tielemans drop into the inverted left-midfield role, which would allow his creativity and ball progression to flourish much more than they've been able to when playing higher up the pitch.
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Furthermore, his proactive approach to defending, as shown by his high ball recoveries and solid tackle stats, would fit the role perfectly. Moussa Diaby could also thrive due to this potential switch by Emery, with the French gem being much more dangerous than Tielemans, as shown by his nine goal contributions in the league.
Overall, the absence of Ramsey might not actually be as significant as once anticipated when he was subbed off, with Tielemans being the perfect replacement for the young midfielder.