An Aston Villa player was forced off with an injury on international duty.
Matty Cash was forced off with an injury concern at half time after scoring Poland’s opening goal in a 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday evening.
Cash found the net for a second successive World Cup qualifier as the Villa right-back broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. The goal, scored from the centre of the penalty area, wasn’t as impressive as his thunderous 25-yard strike which earned a point against the Netherlands last week, but it was still pivotal.
Poland went on to win comfortably as legendary striker Robert Lewandowski and tricky winger Jakub Kaminski extended their side’s lead before Benjamin Kallman scored a late consolation goal for Finland. The win came at a price, however, as Cash was seen limping down the tunnel with a doctor before half time and he didn’t reemerge for the second period.
Manager confirms Aston Villa injury
Cash appeared to take a knock to his thigh as a Finland player challenged for the ball. Although those incidents can often cause a dead leg and not much else, it’s difficult to know for good until scans and tests are conducted.
One positive, at least, is that Cash himself wanted to carry on but Poland boss Jan Urban wouldn’t let him. “Matty Cash got hit in the muscle with a knee,” Urban said post-match. “I saw he was limping; he wanted to keep playing, but I convinced him that a substitution was necessary.”
The extent of Cash’s injury is likely to emerge in the next few days. If not, Villa boss Unai Emery will be able to provide an update during his press conference later this week. If Cash is unavailable to take on Everton, it’ll be a big blow as fellow right-back Andres Garcia is also sidelined.
Injury problems mount for Villa before Everton clash
Cash and Garcia aren’t the only players at risk of missing Villa’s first ever trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, as defensive midfield duo Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana are both doubts, while playmaker Ross Barkley is still unavailable for selection.
Kamara and Onana have both been recuperating after suffering hamstring injuries. Kamara sustained his during the 1-0 defeat away at Brentford in August, whereas Onana pulled up during a training session before the 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace. Barkley, meanwhile, is still lacking in match fitness after an array of injury setbacks.
Continue Reading