Former Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng has admitted that the club may need to replace skipper John Terry if he fails to recover quickly from a broken foot.
Terry sustained the injury against Sheffield United at the beginning of November, having played every minute of Villa’s Championship season before that.
The former England captain joined Villa on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer, and manager Steve Bruce will be hoping that his skipper returns to action early in the new year.
However, if Terry’s recovery is to take longer than that, then former star Boateng believes the club need to look at signing a replacement.
Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: “At the moment John Terry’s loss is a big one. Obviously they’ll miss the leadership and he’s a proper defender. He’s going to be a big miss, but Villa will have to see how they cope with it.
“I don’t know if he needs replacing depending or if he can be fit after the Christmas period. If he can be fit, it’s OK. If we have to wait until March then maybe we need to see if we can replace him or find an alternative centre-back on loan.
“Steve [Bruce] is experienced, he’ll know what to do.”
OPINION
Terry’s experience and leadership qualities are indispensable to Steve Bruce as he looks to take Villa back to the big time. Even if they do sign someone else in January, it will be inconsequential for Terry, who will walk straight back into the team when he is fit. Boateng is right in saying that they may need to bring in someone to provide cover if Terry’s injury keeps him out long after Christmas, but Terry will never actually be replaced in this side.