Aston Villa star Boubacar Kamara is ‘ahead of schedule’ in his recovery from a knee problem and could return to action under new Villa Park boss Unai Emery ahead of the World Cup, according to injury news journalist Ben Dinnery.
The Midlands giants are just one point clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone and have been unable to call upon the defensive midfielder in recent weeks.
What’s the latest news involving Kamara?
Kamara has been out of action since suffering a knee ligament injury during Villa’s win over Southampton in September.
But he appears to be nearing a comeback and, according to The Athletic, the 22-year-old could even be available when his side host Manchester United on Sunday.
The report suggests Kamara is making encouraging progress in his recovery and he may be included in France‘s squad for the World Cup, which gets underway in a matter of weeks.
It comes after it was initially claimed the former Marseille man would not return to contention before the competition in Qatar.
Ahead of sustaining the injury, Kamara had started every fixture since the season got underway.
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What has Ben Dinnery said about Kamara?
Dinnery understands that Kamara could return to full training in the coming days after heading back to Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground.
While the journalist has doubts over whether the Frenchman will be available for this weekend’s clash with Manchester United, he feels game-time could be on the cards in the Carabao Cup third round meeting with the same opponents next Thursday or at Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the World Cup.
Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT: “The fact that he’s now back at Bodymoor Heath and he could potentially rejoin the first-team in training this week shows that he is way ahead of schedule compared to what was initially anticipated.
“That recovery process has gone really, really well. Even if he doesn’t make this weekend for Aston Villa, I think that final game or maybe even the Carabao Cup fixture before the break could be a good opportunity just to get some minutes in his legs.”
Would Kamara’s return be a big boost for Villa?
Emery was appointed as Villa’s new head coach last week and he will want all of his best options, including Kamara, available.
The 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday, which exposed the club’s defensive flaws, emphasised his presence in front of the backline is sorely missed.
Kamara, who penned a £150,000-per-week contract when he joined following the expiry of his Marseille deal in the summer, was showing promise while adapting to the pace of the Premier League before sustaining his knee ligament injury.
Statistics show that he has averaged 3.3 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 0.6 interceptions per game in the top flight and the three-cap France international’s return cannot come soon enough.
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