There is always a risk with the international break. Sometimes players will push through a setback that they probably should not otherwise if it were not for the fact that they are playing for their national teams. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins has instead opted for a more cautious approach.
He picked up an injury to the leg in preparation for England's latest match against Wales. This forced him to not be featured in the Three Lions squad in any capacity for the World Cup qualifier against Latvia. Watkins, instead, returned to Villa in order to attempt to gain something more akin to full fitness for the upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham.
Birmingham Live's John Townley reported on X that the England manager disclosed the Villa forward's inability to train with England.
It remains to be seen what will happen for the upcoming weekend. While there is not anything official being reported in terms of Watkins' upcoming availability. By the looks of it, it is reasonable to not have any concern in terms of Watkins potentially missing multiple weeks. There is a good chance, however, that the England international will be unavailable for the match against the Spurs, even if it is mostly out of precaution.
In the event of Watkins missing the next EPL match, most would expect Donyell Malen to fill in as the starting striker. This is particularly true with the Netherlands international showing why so many are eager for him to have an increase in playing time as is.
Regardless of how the ongoing minute allocation continues to play out, the forward selection at Villa will continue to be a strong point of emphasis among the fanbase.