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Aston Villa: Journalist reflects on John McGinn

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Aston Villa journalist Dan Bardell has been discussing Villa midfielder John McGinn. 

This comes after Bardell recently made an appearance on Villa-themed podcast The Villa View to share his thoughts on everything to do with the Birmingham club at this period in time.

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On the topic of McGinn and how he has fared for Villa in their recent Premier League matches after recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered back in December, Bardell shared his thoughts.

He said: “The trouble is the only way he’s going to get fit is by playing 90 minutes, that’s the only way you’re going to get John McGinn fit again. I think we can all probably agree that he hasn’t had the impact that we’d hoped.

“I think it’s a massive ask to ask him to come in straight away and hit the ground running. I don’t think that was ever going to happen but we just hoped that because he’s quite a naturally fit player in the way he plays the game that he might come back full-tilt.

“But actually, when you think about how he plays the game, again it’s very difficult for someone to just come back and play the way he does and be at it straight away and be full-tilt because he’s so unique but it’s annoying because the winnable games, the more winnable games have gone so you feel like you needed him at his best there.

“The next two [matches] I can’t see us getting anything anyway so you might as well give him 90 minutes to just get the fitness up because, in reality, has he been any worse than anyone else in a Villa shirt with maybe the exception of [Douglas] Luiz? Probably not.”

Would you play or rest McGinn for Villa's next game against Liverpool?

Play him

Play him

Rest him

Rest him

Since the league restarted, McGinn has played in all four of Villa’s matches but has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Dean Smith (per Transfermarkt).

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McGinn’s performances in his 22 Premier League appearances so far this season have earned him a season rating of 7.09/10, making him Villa’s second highest-rated player for this campaign (per WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s understandable why Bardell and other Villa fans would have been hoping to see McGinn back in good form for their recent fixtures after recovering from his injury.

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