Aston Villa have confirmed midfielder Birkir Bjarnason will miss Friday’s Championship clash with Bolton Wanderers due to a groin injury. It’s a blow for the out-of-form Midlands outfit, but Glenn Whelan can step into his shoes and put in a performance.
The 30-year-old came off minutes before half-time in last Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Whelan replaced the Icelandic international and now Dean Smith has confirmed he’ll be absent for Friday’s home clash with the Trotters. His return date is currently unknown.
Bjarnason joined Villa from FC Basel in January 2017 and has gone on to make 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring and creating nine goals. The 30-year-old, who boasts 74 caps for his country, has made nine appearances this season but found himself out of favour under former manager Steve Bruce.
The combative midfielder found himself an unused substitute or out of the matchday squad entirely in five games between mid-August and the end of September, racking up only 90 minutes of playing time in the Championship. He’s now somewhat back in the side and would likely have started against Bolton if not for his injury.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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