Negotiations with Aston Villa are ongoing for Louie Barry’s return from injury; hoping for a quick comeback.
Barry joined Edgeley Park on a season-long loan last summer and quickly established himself as a vital offensive source for the team, playing a major role in the Hatters’ ascent through the ranks.
But in October of last year, he was forced to withdraw early from County’s away match against Crewe Alexandra, which put a stop to his season. He would be out of commission for several months due to a hamstring injury, it was subsequently discovered.
The 20-year-old has returned to County’s Carrington training camp after spending the most of his recuperation at his parent club. Challinor stated in his post-match interview after the victory over Wimbledon that talks with Villa about the player’s return are now taking place.
Challinor reveals discussions are ongoing with Villa
Ever since the teenage forward’s injury, County supporters have been speculating about when they could see him back in action, so it has been a top priority ever since it was confirmed he has resumed full training with the Hatters.
When the club media questioned Challinor about Barry’s return, he stated that the exact date was still up for negotiation with Villa and that everyone at Edgeley Park was hopeful it may happen sooner rather than later.
“To be honest, that’s a little outside of our control,” he remarked. The intention with Aston Villa—with whom we will undoubtedly speak this week—was to participate, or have the capacity to participate, in the match against Colchester.
“We would like to try and transmit that to Sutton, and Louie hopes to forward that as well. However, as I said before, that is beyond our control; we will follow their lead completely.”
Challinor stated that Barry and County both have a strong desire for the player to return, and he wants to have the player available for selection sometime this week.
“Nobody would ever put him at risk, but he is, as you would expect, really, really keen to get back involved,” stated the supervisor. Since his return, he has been a pleasure to have around the home.
So, Tuesday would be my worst guess. Best? Perhaps on Saturday.”
Barry was a key player for Stockport before his setback
Before his injury, the former Barcelona youth prospect was playing some of his best football of his career, having scored nine goals and contributed two assists in just 15 games this season.
In addition to his sheer output, he provided an offensive style that the other members of the squad lacked considerably.
His dribbling at County is unmatched, and his ability to beat a man and dash to the byline in pursuit of cutbacks or a shooting angle has evolved into a characteristic play that breaks up the Hatters’ typical build-up tactics.
Since County is regarded as one of League Two’s most formidable teams, many other clubs frequently prepare to grind out a victory against Challinor’s squad.
In recent weeks, this fact has raised the possibility of stalemate games; but, Barry’s comeback would help somewhat mitigate the situation.
Next two games are exactly the kind Barry is needed for
In theory, the match between the top three teams in the league and the bottom two teams should be more of a procession, but as the season draws to a close, these teams are vying to stay in the Football League.
On Saturday, the Hatters take on Sutton United, who are ranked 22nd, and on Tuesday, they play Colchester United, who are ranked 23rd.
These teams are prepared to frustrate because they understand they will be put to the test, especially with County back to nearly full fitness.
Sutton is a formidable opponent in their own right, having triumphed in four of their previous five games—an incredible record for a team fighting relegation and evidence that they won’t back down from a challenge, as seen by Forest Green’s performance when County came to The New Lawn Stadium.
With six ties in their past eight games—all of which ended in 1-1 results—Colchester in particular appear to be the frustrating team you might anticipate given their current form. One guaranteed approach to counteract teams trying to scrabble for a point and stifle County’s inventiveness is through individual on-the-ball excellence of a player like Barry.
County’s current position is largely due to his previous scoring run, and he may potentially contribute further more to what looks to be a difficult finish.
It is understandable why Edgeley Park’s Challinor and his staff would like to see Barry rejoin them as soon as possible.
