Villa warn Amavi not to rush his recovery
JORDAN Amavi will not be rushed back into competitive action despite completing his recovery from a long-term knee injury.
The talented Aston Villa left-back has trained with the rest of the group this summer but is yet to feature in a pre-season friendly.
He could sit out of Saturday’s trip to FC Nantes in his homeland as Villa carefully monitor his fitness.
Amavi missed six months of action last term after rupturing his cruciate in a France U21 clash in November.
It was a bitter blow for the 22-year-old, who was desperate to make an impression in his first season in England following a £10million move from Nice last summer.
An extended rehabilitation period went well and Amavi reported back with the first team late last month.
During the first ten days at Bodymoor Heath he trained hard and was also putting in the yards with the team out in Austria last week.
But boss Roberto Di Matteo kept him on the sidelines for the friendlies against GAK, Telford and Worcester, and is expected to do the same for at least another week.
Medics have told the Frenchman to take it easy and despite his determination to make up for lost time, he will remain patient in the times ahead.
Meanwhile, Nathan Baker insists the hangover from last season must disappear for Villa to thrive this term.
Defender Baker played 36 times in the Championship on loan at Bristol City last season, missing Villa’s misery first-hand.
And he said: “It’s about us ensuring the hangover doesn’t continue into the start of the season. We have a new owner now and a new manager – and several new players have already joined.
“We can’t let the disappointment and frustration of the previous season fester for any length of time into this season.
“We need to start well, be right at it and get some early wins and then I think the momentum can carry us a long way.
“It’s never easy when you’ve been relegated. But with the squad that Roberto is putting together, I feel we should definitely be challenging near the top. That’s clearly our No.1 aim.”
Baker added: “You need a very together squad. That’s the key for me in the Championship.
“It’s a long, long season and you need everyone pulling in the same direction. It’s a tougher division on the pitch too. I have found a lot of teams have their own set way of playing.
“It’s about going out there, staying together, working hard, playing the way you want to play and getting the right result.
“You have to be mentally strong too. There are so many matches. There’s no let-up for anyone in the squad.”