Jordan Lyden Nearing Aston Villa Return
By Josh Tonti
After many months on the sideline, Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Lyden is nearing a return to the first team. The Australia youth international is currently away on duty with his country’s U-23s.
Aston Villa may welcome Jordan Lyden back into the first team sooner rather than later. The 21-year old spent months on end on the treatment table recovering from a nasty quadriceps injury.
Steve Bruce admitted recently Lyden impressed in training the week before the international break. Could Jordan Lyden force his way into the Villa central midfield after months away from playing?
Possibly. The midfield as of late has been performing very well at stifling opposition attacks. Mile Jedinak, Henri Lansbury, and Conor Hourihane all played a part in transitioning this Villa club from relegation-threatened to a top-half table Championship club.
Depth, however, is an issue currently. Birkir Bjarnason remains out, while Gary Gardner is a constant threat for picking-up a knock or two. While Lyden is a different type of player than the latter two, his versatility may be what Steve Bruce craves on the bench.
Under former manager Rémi Garde, Lyden featured in central midfield, defensive midfield, and right wingback (!) in just a short four match span. In some respect, the Aussie is very similar to Leandro Bacuna in that they fill a similar role for the club.
Bacuna possesses the superior athleticism while Jordan Lyden impresses with incredible passing range.
Next: Aston Villa Players Depart For International Break
Wherever he ends up playing this year – whether it’s with the first team or the under-23s, it is good to have another quality player return from injury.
Aston Villa have a massive stockpile of talented young players: André Green, Jack Grealish, Jordan Amavi, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Jordan Lyden, Pierluigi Gollini, James Bree, Keinan Davis, etc.
The future is still bright.