It is not the end of the world. Aston Villa players receiving an international call-up is always an honor for the players themselves and something they always strive for. The concern each time is the possibility of picking up an injury outside of club play. For one of the Villans, that will no longer be a concern this June.
Ollie Watkins, as reported by Birmingham Live's John Townley, will not be participating in the England fixtures that are scheduled against Andorra and Senegal this month. The reporter shared that the attacker is doing so out of "precaution" in order to have a chance to heal up.
Injuries played a large part in the earlier stages of Watkins' 2024-2025 season. He came back, however, and found the magic touch needed to take over the club's goal-scoring record in the Premier League. While his playing would have likely been fine and not too much of a risk for him, it will be nice for Watkins to instead take the time and focus on being fully fit for the beginning of the next campaign for Villa.
The exact nature of the injury was not disclosed. It is safe to say, however, that not needing to revamp himself for two more games at the moment will do him a lot of good. Without hearing about something significant, it does bode well that this is a decision that was entirely made based on wanting to take some time off from the grind of being match-ready.
Place secured for Aston Villa forward
While England and Villa fans would have liked to have seen Watkins play well for the Three Lions, it will be good knowing that his aggravating this small knock is no longer a possibility.
Watkins' spot on the England roster should be secure, however. As evidenced by the striker options, who will make the trip to Barcelona to play Andorra, the Villa forward will most likely be in the starting XI when he is fully fit for this Thomas Tuchel side.