This is not what Aston Villa needed as they’re chasing a playoff spot! Tammy Abraham pulled out of England’s U21 squad after failing to recover from an injury he picked up against Middlesbrough last week and every fan reading this will invariably be scared.

The fact of the matter is, if it keeps him out for more than a few weeks, it’ll ruin their promotion hopes.

The Englishman has scored 21 goals for the Villans so far this season and he’s been a major reason why Villa are the in-form team in the Championship at the moment. His form and the return of captain Jack Grealish has made fans dream of a return to the Premier League next season.

The calf injury threatens to squash those dreams Abraham has built up over the last couple of months, because, without him, it’s not clear where consistent goals are coming from. At this stage in the season, you need your main striker firing, and he certainly can’t do that from the touchline.

Their next game is at Villa Park against Blackburn Rovers and fans will hope he’s back fit for that game, with every fixture a must-win for Dean Smith’s men. They’ve won four games on the bounce now and it’s important they start the next bout of games as they ended the last.

Momentum is key.

The 21-year-old must return soon or Villa will struggle in front of goal, making games they should finish off more gruelling.  The feel-good factor at the club will start to dwindle and the playoffs could slip out of their grasp.

The boost when he’s back will be massive and that could push them to secure a playoff spot itself, but it all depends on how soon he’s able to return and if his teammates can fill the void if he’s not ready.

Villa fans, how do you think your club will fare if Tammy Abraham’s injury leaves him on the sideline against Blackburn? Join the discussion by commenting below.