Steven Gerrard mulls tweak to his Aston Villa defence

Steven Gerrard admits Villa’s injury woes in defence could prompt a tactical shake-up.

Villa are without both senior left-backs, Lucas Digne and Ludwig Augustinsson, for at least the next two Premier League fixtures with veteran Ashley Young expected to deputise at Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

placeholder image

Gerrard, who should have Calum Chambers available again, has not ruled out playing three centre-backs should the situation demand it.

He explained: “We have to prepare for what-ifs? It goes without saying I prefer to play with a four (in defence).

“But we have to keep analysing the injury situations. If we were to have any more, or any situations during the game, we have to prepare and practice what we might need to go to.

“It might be a situation where I might have to go to a three at some point. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Augustinsson will miss three weeks with a hamstring injury, while Digne is due for another scan on a heel issue after next Sunday’s match with Chelsea.

Comment Guidelines

Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Local news you can trust
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice