Mile Jedinak out 1-3 months, loss will be felt in Aston Villa ranks

Aston Villa FC manager Steve Bruce has yet another long-term injury to deal with. Midfield stalwart and Socceroos skipper Mile Jedinak badly damaged his shoulder in Villa’s 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town. The Aussie will miss a minimum of one month, with a potential operation time in excess of three months.

It is hard not to feel for Mile Jedinak. His dominating presence and ever-present beard were just about at full fitness return when disaster struck once more. Jedinak came-off injured against Ipswich inside of twenty-five minutes.

Deputizing for Christopher Samba in central defense after a third match in eight days (who happened to be deputizing for the injured John Terry until the new year), Jedinak was returning from a re-aggravation of a groin strain that kept him out the entire summer and most of the Fall campaign. Not until the final days before the November international window did the player make two substitute appearances for the claret and blue of Aston Villa.

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He returned to Birmingham with a little more match fitness, ready to stake his claim over either Glenn Whelan in the number six role, or as a starting center back. But, with Aston Villa’s injury luck, it was not to be.

Jedinak’s absence adds to the long-term injury pile over at B6. Between December 1st and January 1st the club plays seven league matches, a hugely congested schedule. Mile, Grealish, Kodjia, Hepburn-Murphy, Hogan, Green, Terry have all missed periods of over one month. For Villa, it means James Chester and Chris Samba remain the only recognized fit senior center backs, until John Terry returns from a broken foot (estimated mid-January 2018). Ritchie De Laet becomes the next man up, but has never really played the position outside of a few emergency situations at Leicester City.

Glenn Whelan has been an important cog for Aston Villa, starting eighteen of the club’s nineteen league matches thus far. For the foreseeable future, however, Whelan becomes an even more indispensable member; one the club cannot afford an injury to. Jedinak’s unavailability may quash rumors of Henri Lansbury’s exit too – unless club owner Dr. Tony Xia has other plans.

Steve Bruce’s successful 4-4-1-1 has no end in sight given current squad composition and positive results gathered over the first third of the season. Until otherwise, Johnstone; RFB, Samba, Chester (c), LFB; Snodgrass, Whelan, Hourihane, Adomah; Onomah; Davis should see the pitch plenty with Jack Grealish as the first attacking option of the bench.

Mile Jedinak’s loss will be felt, however. The squad simply cannot afford another devastating injury.