Jores Okore was one of Paul Lambert's most promising signings over the summer, when he joined Aston Villa from FC Nordsjaelland. But after only four appearances, the Denmark international tore the cruciate ligament in his knee, and was presumed to be out for the remainder of the season. His recovery seems to be going more quickly than expected, though, and it looks as if Okore may see the pitch again before March is over.
People are asking "when I'm back playing" I be back playing I 2-3 months time..
— Jores Okore (@JoresOkore) January 6, 2014
Now it is worth noting that this is the opinion of the athlete himself and not a doctor. Players are often overambitious about their own recovery schedules. But if Okore is to be proven right, he would be able to slot into Villa's back four just in time for the season's final few matches.
This would be an obvious benefit if Villa were embroiled in a relegation battle, but it's useful even if they aren't. Assuming that other defensive players are healthy at the time, it would give the club some time to see if their first-choice defense is good enough, or if they need to improve over the summer. Plus it would be fantastic to see £4 million being used in some other way than recovering from injury.