OPINION
Dean Smith will sweat over the fact that Aston Villa attacker Tammy Abraham’s calf injury may cause him to be ruled out but it may actually be a blessing.
According to the Birmingham Mail the forward is set to undergo further assessment in the coming days after picking up an injury in the win against Middlesbrough.
The newspaper claim that Abraham is struggling to make England’s U-21s’ clash with Poland on Thursday and that he may need to be assessed before the clash with Germany on March 26th.
The Birmingham Mail also states that if Abraham’s injury is deemed serious he may have to return to parent club Chelsea for treatment, but hopefully that isn’t the case.
Yet if Abraham is set to miss the two games for the England’s U-21s it could give him the break he looks like he needs.
The Villans’ next game is 12 days away and that could be plenty of time for Abraham to recover, but even if he misses the clash with Blackburn it’s not the end of the world.
Abraham’s form has taken a notable dip in recent weeks with his display against Nottingham Forest being his worse yet.
The 21-year-old looked sluggish, out of ideas, and unable to force the breakthrough once chances weren’t put on a plate for him.
When Abraham is at his best, he is full of energy and a player capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck.
With this in mind if the forward is set to have an enforced mini-break from senior football it could do him the world of good.
Abraham, who has scored 21 goals this season, could return to the Villans’ first-team with his batteries refreshed ready to help his side reach the play-offs.
While Smith no doubt won’t like the idea of losing his top-scorer for even one game, it may be a surprise blessing if it kicks him out of his bad run of form.