In a recent interview (via Birmingham Mail) ahead of Aston Villa‘s Premier League clash against West Ham United, Dean Smith ruled Kortney Hause out for ‘at least 4-6 weeks’ due to a foot injury. The Villans boss said, “Kortney has had his scan and he’s got a problem with his foot, he’s going to be out for at least 4-6 weeks. It was a blow because he came in the team, played four games and was excellent.”
Hause’s Influential Role At Villa Park This Season
The English centre-back has missed his team’s past four matches after picking up an injury in the league clash away at Chelsea back in December. He could now potentially miss Villa’s next seven matches due to a foot problem with his return expected to be around mid-March. This latest development will be a bitter pill to swallow for the Villans and could hamper their hopes of securing a European place in the Premier League table this season.
Hause has been a sporadic feature in Dean Smith’s squad but has done well whenever he has featured for Villa’s first-team. The 25-year-old has made seven appearances for the West Midlands club this term, finding the back of the net once and picking up one yellow card across various competitions.
In the four league matches Hause has been involved in this season, he has averaged 0.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 6.5 clearances and 0.8 shots per game thus far. However, he needs to be more accurate with his ball-distribution after completing 75.2% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
What Does The English Defensive Ace Bring To The Table?
Standing at 1.91m, Hause can be a towering presence inside his penalty area. He can use his incredible upper-body strength to outmuscle the opposition and win some important aerial duels for his team. Hause is usually quick to react to the danger and is not afraid to put his foot through the ball to clear his lines when needed.
The Redbridge-born centre-back has proven himself to be a useful squad player under the watchful eyes of Dean Smith. However, he should take care of the ball a bit better when playing his way out from the back.
Hause Out Of Action For Several Weeks: Big Blow For Smith?
Losing Hause will be a big blow for the Villans as he has served as an ideal back-up to Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings at Villa Park. Smith will now have to hope that Bjorn Engels can step up to the challenge when he decides to rest either Konsa or Mings in the Premier League this season.
With matches coming thick and fast in English football this season, the Villans will be in for a tough period without Hause, so only time will tell whether Smith can cope with his absence in the coming weeks.
