Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been handed a key injury update as one star now targets an imminent return to the team.
Friday night's trip to Molineux is a game Aston Villa simply cannot afford to get wrong.
A general view of Molineux ahead of the Premier League match Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Bournemouth
While Wolves are destined for the drop regardless, they're certain to make life uncomfortable in what promises to be an edgy, combative West Midlands derby.
For Emery's men, three points would consolidate their grip on third place in the Premier League and sustain the momentum that has carried them this far. But the stakes feel even higher than the table suggests.
March is coming. And March, for Villa, could be the defining month of their entire season.
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He won't be back until after the international break.
Emery's side are in the last 16 of the Europa League, having finished second in the league phase and earned the reward of a home second leg.
The draw takes place on Thursday, with the first leg scheduled for March 12. Whoever emerges from the hat — Celta Vigo, PAOK, Lille or Red Star Belgrade are among the possible opponents — Villa will need to be at their very best to go deep into the tournament.
The final in Istanbul in May is the dream, as if qualifying for the Champions League, with Villa set for a blockbuster end to 2025/2026.
Aston Villa v Newcastle United - Villa Park
After Wolves, Villa face off against top four rivals Chelsea before the first leg of their last 16 tie, and there is now genuine reason for optimism.
John McGinn targeting imminent Aston Villa return
John McGinn, the club's captain, leader and most influential presence in midfield, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury against Everton in January.
Aston-Villa-John-McGinn
The 31-year-old went under the surgeon's knife shortly afterward, and was initially expected to miss up to eight weeks — a spell that looked certain to rule him out of the first leg.
Villa have coped in his absence, but it has been obvious to anyone watching that something has been missing.
The energy, the aggression, the ability to drive the team forward from deep — these are qualities nobody else in the squad quite replicates — with Emery calling him a 'fantastic professional'.
However, according to Birmingham Live's John Townley, McGinn is now expected to return for their first Europa League knockout match, just after they play Chelsea and just before they take on Man United.
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John McGinn in action for Aston Villa against Manchester United.
It is a timely boost for Emery, with McGinn targeting an imminent return to action in just over a fortnight and just in time for a crunch phase of the campaign.
McGinn has made 316 appearances for Villa since joining from Hibernian in 2018, and has since gone on to become a vital cog in midfield.
He scored a stunning solo goal in the Champions League quarter-finals against PSG last season and has been the heartbeat of everything Emery has built at Villa Park.
Getting the £120,000-per-week star back for the biggest games of the season would be an enormous boost.
First, though, Friday night at Wolves, and McGinn will be forced to watch from the sidelines.
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The Villans were nearly humbled.