Aston Villa journalist Luke Hatfield says that Jed Steer will start against Chelsea on Saturday.
With number one goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez set to miss his first Premier League game since signing for the club having failed to follow COVID-19 rules upon his arrival to Brazil in the recent international break, the former Arsenal man will need to be replaced.
When did Steer last play in the Premier League?
It's been more than eight years since Steer made the switch to Villa Park, but he's made only 34 appearances in the previous eight seasons.
His last three first-team outings for Villa, including the victory at Barrow last month, have all come in the Carabao Cup, but Martinez's absence is likely to give the 28-year-old a chance to make his first appearance in the Premier League since an eight-minute cameo against Wolves back in October 2019.
In fact, should Steer get the nod, it'll be just his second ever start in England's topflight, with his only other coming in a 1-0 defeat at Burnley on the final day of the 2014-2015 season.
What has Hatfield said about Aston Villa's goalkeeper situation ahead of the trip to Chelsea?
Following Tom Heaton's return to Manchester United earlier this summer, Martinez's absence leaves Dean Smith with just one senior goalkeeper at his disposal in Steer.
With that in mind, Hatfield told GIVEMESPORT that he's the obvious choice to replace the Argentine:
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"They are a little bit light. Martinez won't be available for the Chelsea game, so it will be Jed Steer starting in goal because behind that you've got a lot of young goalkeepers in there."
Is starting Steer the right decision?
Despite turning out just six times across the previous two seasons having slipped behind Tom Heaton in the pecking order, Steer is the obvious choice to start against Thomas Tuchel's men.
The 6ft keeper might be a rookie at Premier League level, having played just 98 minutes in his career, but he's racked up more than 140 appearances in senior football and is far more experienced than anything else Smith has in reserve.
Meanwhile, Martinez being out should allow 19-year-old Estonian goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo to enjoy his first involvement in a Premier League squad.