Wayne Hennessey is out for the next six months for Wolves. Roy Hodgson admits it’s highly unlikely James Morrison will feature again this season, Alex McLeish receives an injury boost ahead of Villa’s double Gameweek, while a fit-again John O’Shea looks set to return for Sunderland this weekend:
Wolves have this afternoon confirmed Wayne Hennessey has been ruled out for up to six months after sustaining a knee injury at Sunderland last weekend. Scans taken yesterday revealed the keeper has damaged cruciate ligaments, with the Welshman now set to undergo surgery in order to alleviate the problem. The news means Dorus de Vries is set to take over in goal for the final four Gameweeks of the season – the club have today recalled Carl Ikeme from a loan spell at Doncaster for back-up on the bench. De Vries could hardly ask for a more difficult first start of the season this weekend, though; Terry Connor’s side entertain the on-song Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez, as City roll up to Molineux.
Roy Hodgson is confident that Jonas Olsson will be ready to return for the Baggies this weekend. The centre-half picked up a groin problem in the warm-up prior to last Saturday’s win over QPR but is on course to come back for Sunday’s trip to Liverpool. Marc-Antoine Fortune is a doubt, however; the forward limped off at the Hawthorns with a hamstring problem, with his possible absence likely to afford Shane Long a chance to partner Peter Odemwingie up top. Hodgson also revealed that both James Morrison and Zoltan Gera are highly unlikely to play any further part of the current campaign – with the Baggies safe from the drop, their manager sees no sense in risking the fitness of either player at this point:
I’m not very optimistic. I would have to be 100 per cent sure I wasn’t endangering their pre-season or next season by putting them back in – we don’t need to. We’ve achieved our goal with more than four games to go which is fantastic. It would take a lot for me to throw them back in. They would need to be 100 per cent raring to go and be training with me for at least a week or two before I throw them back in. We want them fit for next season.
Gael Givet has denied suggestions that he refused to take to the field in Blackburn’s game at Swansea last weekend. The defender was left out of the squad for the 3-0 defeat –Rovers’ fifth successive loss – with Steve Kean stating post-match he asked the defender to play but decided he was “not in the right frame of mind” to turn out against the Swans. Having failed to feature since Gameweek 24, Givet’s chances of a first-team opportunity over the final four Gameweeks look bleak as the relegation trap door beckons ever-nearer for the Ewood Park outfit.
Alex McLeish has been handed a timely boost ahead of Villa’s upcoming double Gameweek 35. McLeish revealed the injuries are starting to clear up for the midlands outfit, with the likes of Marc Albrighton, Chris Herd, Ciaran Clark and Stephen Warnock all close to being available for the games against Sunderland and Bolton. Speaking on the club’s official website, McLeish revealed:
Marc has not trained yet with the group. But it’s likely that he’ll train on Thursday and he’ll be available. Ciaran has got a head knock, but he’s fine, he’s not in the same situation as Herdy was. Herdy’s stopped seeing stars and he’s fine. Fingers crossed he’s available for the weekend. Stevie is training with the physios at the moment. He’s still got a wee bit of puffiness in his ankle but he said he was feeling quite good. If they can work on getting the fluid out of his ankle then I would like to think he’s got a chance of making the squad for the weekend.
The Villa boss also went on to say that Carlos Cuellar and Charles N’Zogbia are both in contention for starts. The duo have both been sidelined with injury of late and have recently returned to the first-team squad but, having proved their fitness over the last few days, are in the frame for a place in the first XI against Sunderland on Saturday.
Martin O’Neill looks set to welcome back John O’Shea this weekend, with the former United man now fully recovered from the calf problem that has kept him out of the last four matches. While Matthew Kilgallon has performed admirably alongside Matthew Turner in the Black Cats’ last two home games, picking up two clean sheet, O’Neill’s outfit have conceded seven goals in their last two road trips without O’Shea, suggesting the Irishman is likely to return to the first XI for the visit to Villa Park.
