OPINION
There is little getting away from the fact that Aston Villa are much better off with Jack Grealish in the side than sitting on the sidelines – after all, there was a reason Tottenham were chasing his signature in the summer.
A class above much of the Championship, the born-and-bred Villa ace brings not only a balance to the side, especially in attack, but he offers a cutting edge which can unlock even the most resolute of defences.
While the Villans are by no means a one man team, it speaks volumes that Dean Smith’s men have struggled without him in the side as he suffers with a persistent injury – a setback which the manager has delivered a worrying statement on.
He told the Birmingham Mail: “Jack has got the medical staff a bit discombobulated. He’s got them all a little bit confused. He’s got a protective boot on it because we need to progress with caution.”
It is a worrying time for Villa when the training ground update speaks of confusion and considering his impact, both when present and missing from the side, there needs to be a replacement sourced in the January window.
The Villans are already playing catch up to the rest of the Championship’s play off hopefuls and the longer that Grealish is out, the more they are going to fall behind.
He is a talisman to the side and without him their top six hopes are hanging in the balance – so this latest worrying update from Smith leaves only one option.
A new midfield maestro in the winter window – or top six heartbreak in May.