Aston Villa have reportedly suffered a fresh injury blow as midfielder Amadou Onana is expected to miss more time.
The 23-year-old sustained a hamstring issue during our 2-2 draw with Arsenal last weekend, and was subsequently forced off after just 37 minutes at the Emirates.
READ MORE: Emery reveals door is open for exit for Villa ace this month
The Belgian international was absent in midweek for our Champions League clash with Monaco, and as reported by The Athletic, he’s now set to miss our upcoming games against West Ham Utd and Celtic at least.
Onana has struggled with injuries throughout the first half of the season, but he’s still made 21 appearances across all competitions and has played a key role, scoring four goals to go with his defensive work.
Particularly with John McGinn and Ross Barkley both currently sidelined by injury too, Unai Emery will be eager to get players back from their respective setbacks as soon as possible, but it doesn’t look as though Onana will be at his disposal for the next couple of weeks.
That in turn is likely to see Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara continue in our midfield pivot, although the expectation is that McGinn is close to being back in contention after stepping up training over the past week, and so he could be available in the next week to give us a boost.
It may also open up an opportunity for talented youngster Lamare Bogarde, who is evidently highly-rated by Emery having included him in his first-team plans throughout pre-season last summer and through the season so far.
The 21-year-old impressed against Arsenal having replaced Onana, and with his versatility allowing him to play in defence or midfield, he could prove to be a useful option for the Villa boss, with the Athletic report above suggesting that we will dismiss interest in taking the Dutchman on loan.
For Onana though, it’s vital that he comes back fully fit after this latest setback, as although he’s been an important presence in our midfield with his physicality, height and composure in possession, if he can’t avoid these ongoing niggling setbacks, it will negatively impact all concerned.
