OPINION
Aston Villa midfielder Glenn Whelan limped off against Sunderland on Tuesday but Steve Bruce shouldn’t worry as Birkir Bjarnason will prove that he’s capable of replacing the 34-year-old in the team.
Bruce confirmed after the Villans’ 3-0 victory at the Stadium of Light that he was concerned about Whelan’s potential injury as he believed the veteran midfielder had been his side’s best player ahead of coming off.
“The disappointing thing of tonight is that Whelan, who I thought was our best player up until he got injured, has badly pulled a calf,” said Bruce, as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
“That’s the downside of tonight, for him to come off and limp like that, then it’s got to be something severe, so we’re not expecting good news.”
Whelan has made 28 appearances for the Villans this season and even managed to uncharacteristically score a goal against Sheffield Wednesday during this campaign.
However the majority of the midfielder’s performances haven’t set the world alight, so the bar isn’t set very high for whoever replaces him in the team.
It’s very likely that Whelan will at least miss the game against Wolves on Saturday, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that he is a doubt, and this is a golden opportunity to see how well the Villans cope without the veteran midfielder in the team.
Mile Jedinak replaced Whelan in the game against Sunderland and put in a solid performance.
Although there is still a question mark over the Australian international’s ability to keep up with the pace of the Championship at the age of 33.
This same question is constantly asked of Whelan as well, but it’s never asked of the younger, fitter 29-year-old Bjarnason.
The Icelandic midfielder has made 21 appearances this season, and despite being used sparingly, has shown his ability to be a capable player in the middle of the park.
Bruce could opt to give Bjarnason a consistent run of games with Whelan potentially unavailable, and the 29-year-old will be able to take his opportunity and keep Whelan out of the team even if he is fit.
As the Icelandic midfielder looks capable of complimenting and forming a partnership with Conor Hourihane, and the pair would make the Villans’ way more mobile in midfield compared to when Whelan plays.
Therefore while Bruce may be worried over Whelan right now, as soon as he sees Bjarnason step up in his absence, his fears will be squashed.