Injury Update for Aston Villa’s Midfield

Tielemans Set to Miss Additional Weeks

Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has announced that Youri Tielemans will be sidelined for the next few months due to an ankle injury sustained during the match against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday.

The 28-year-old midfielder was substituted for Lamare Bogarde in the 74th minute after a collision with Lewis Miley. This injury adds to an already extensive list of absentees in Villa’s midfield.

Current Injury List

• Youri Tielemans: Out for 8-10 weeks
• Boubacar Kamara: Long-term absence, unlikely to play this season
• John McGinn: Recently underwent successful surgery, expected 6-8 weeks recovery

With these injuries, Aston Villa will be without several key midfield players for their final Europa League group stage match against RB Salzburg, set to occur at Villa Park on Thursday. Although Villa has secured a spot in the top eight, they aim to secure the top position with a victory over Salzburg.

Managerial Insights

Emery provided an update on the injury situation, saying, “We are aware of Kamara, McGinn, and Tielemans’ conditions. Kamara will be out for a long period, likely not returning this season. McGinn is looking at a recovery time of around 6-8 weeks, while Tielemans will be sidelined for 8-10 weeks.”

The manager emphasized the need to adapt to the changing midfield dynamics given the injuries, adding, “Ross Barkley is expected to return to training in a few days. He has been training individually and is close to rejoining the squad.”

Key Upcoming Matches and Player Availability

• Match: RB Salzburg vs Aston Villa
• Date: Thursday
• Available Players: Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley (returning soon)
• Unavailable Players: Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Leon Bailey, and Tammy Abraham (not registered for Europa League)

Emery also mentioned that Douglas Luiz might be returning to the club, which would bolster the midfield options after recent injury setbacks. The Brazilian, who previously played over 200 matches for Villa before joining Juventus in 2024, has spent the first part of the season on loan at Nottingham Forest and is poised to make a comeback for the remainder of the season.

“We are optimistic about Luiz’s return,” Emery noted.

Recent Transfers and Team Changes

Leon Bailey’s loan to Roma was concluded earlier last week, and he will not be participating in Thursday’s match. Additionally, Tammy Abraham has recently returned to Aston Villa from Besiktas but is not registered to play in the Europa League this week.

“Although Bailey and Abraham will not be eligible, we have sufficient players to field a competitive squad,” Emery stated, expressing excitement about Abraham’s potential contribution to the team moving forward.