Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that Jonathan Kodija will be out for two or three weeks after suffering an injury in training. The striker was involved in a clash with teammate Marvelous Nakamba and apparently needs an operation.
“Jonathan has fractured a cheekbone on the training ground. He just clashed heads with Marvelous in a non-competitive part of straining. We thought it was fine, but they picked up a fracture at the hospital, and he’s had an operation which means he will be out for two-three weeks.”, said Smith in an official statement.
Kodija’s role at Aston Villa
To assess the severity of Kodija’s injury for Aston Villa, we first need to figure out his exact role at the club. The forward has been part of the Villa side since 2016 when he moved in from Bristol City for a fee of €12 million. He played a key role for the club in his debut campaign, scoring 19 goals, though Aston Villa failed to gain promotion.
Last season, Kodija played second fiddle to Tammy Abraham and netted an impressive nine goals in 22 starts. And though the England striker has returned to Chelsea this summer, Kodija is still the second-choice number nine at Villa Park, thanks to the arrival of Wesley.
The Brazilian was brought in from Club Brugge in a club-record deal. He has already started all four matches in the Premier League this season, restricting Kodija to just 16 minutes of league football.
What can Aston Villa lose in the absence of Kodija?
First and foremost, Aston Villa lack any reliable alternatives for star striker Wesley. That means they could be in deep trouble if the Brazilian fails to perform or suffers an injury. It could force the club to rely on the services of the inexperienced Keinan Davis.
Speaking of experience, Kodija is currently the most experienced Aston Villa attacker, having made 139 Championship appearances. He is also the longest-serving attacker at the club, and this experience could have been useful in a fairly untested offensive unit of Aston Villa.
Smith has no option but to hope that Kodija will return to full fitness as he has no real alternatives at the moment. In the meantime, however, the 48-year-old should also try to identify an attacking target in the upcoming January transfer window.
