Cash injury before the midweek Premier League game against Brighton forces Aston Villa to weigh options ahead of Newcastle FA Cup tie on Saturday at Villa Park
Matty Cash‘s absence from Aston Villa‘s 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday stemmed from injury, and Unai Emery‘s comments on Friday strongly suggest that the right back will be out of Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round clash with Newcastle United.
Cash, who has established himself as a crucial component under Emery, didn’t make the matchday squad for the narrow win.
While Lamare Bogarde did a good job filling in, Cash remains Villa’s first choice right-back over extended periods. His consistency and defensive reliability have made him indispensable to Emery’s system, raising concerns about how long the Poland international might be sidelined. Meanwhile, Bogarde has participated in 30 games across all competitions this term.
Cash, who has started in 24 Premier League games this season, is expected to miss out on Villa’s next two games – something that hasn’t been officially confirmed by the club. The medical staff will be cautious about aggravating the issue, particularly with the quick turnaround between matches creating limited recovery time.
“He was injured, with a small injury,” Emery said after the Brighton match. “I don’t know if he will be available for Saturday. Each day is important for how he is progressing.”
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Quick turnaround complicates selection decisions
However, in Friday’s press conference, Emery spoke of Bogarde‘s good performances at right back, and referred to him as an option to replace Cash, as well as left-back Andrés García, indicating that both will miss at least Saturday’s FA Cup match.
“Lamare Bogarde, for example, is very good possibility,” he said, in regards to accommodating players in different positions amid injury absences. “And getting good performance with us progressively, because he was here when I arrived here, three years and a half (ago), he was here.
“He was in the academy, he was training with us, he was going on loan. Now, how he’s performing and playing as a right full-back he played marking (Kaoru) Mitoma and playing as a midfielder, playing a lot of matches. I am confident,” Emery said.
“We have enough players to replace as a midfielder, to replace as well, full-back, Andrés (García) and Matty Cash, with the players we have.”
Other alternative options exist within the squad – Ezri Konsa could shift to the right, with Victor Lindelof partnering someone else centrally. That configuration maintains defensive solidity while giving Bogarde the opportunity to operate in his preferred defensive midfield role.
Alysson still needs time to be ready
On new arrival Alysson, the Villa manager was encouraged by how he has carried himself in his early weeks at the club. Emery indicated that “he needed time” to adapt to his surroundings, but that he was progressing well.
“He’s a winger. Left foot winger playing normally on the right side, and (he) can play in the left side, but normally he’s playing on the right side,” Emery said.
“He has qualities or skills like, more or less, Leon Bailey – left foot playing in the right side, and he has a huge potential.
“Of course, his adaptation is being progressively better, but he needed time, and he is still needing time to adapt of us, and to get his best performances. But each match or each training session is very important for him.”
When is Aston Villa vs Newcastle in the FA Cup 4th round?
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round will take place on Saturday, February 14, at Villa Park, with kick off at 17:45 GMT. That means 12:45 ET, and 09:45 PT in the United States.
It’s set to be shown live in the UK on BBC One (and streamed on BBC iPlayer) as well as TNT Sports 3 (streaming via discovery+). In the US, the match is listed on ESPN+ (including Spanish language coverage).