Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara is continuing to put in the hard work as he looks to return from injury in time to start our pre-season schedule.
The 26-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in January and subsequently went on to miss the rest of the season as he continued his recovery.
Fortunately, although we undoubtedly missed his influence and quality in midfield, Villa boss Unai Emery was able to find the solutions needed to ensure that it was still a successful campaign as we finished fourth in the Premier League and secured the Europa League trophy.
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Nevertheless, losing Kamara midway through the season was a major blow as it disrupted our momentum that we had built up to that point, and so getting him back will be a huge boost given the impact he makes in both phases when he’s in the team.
It has been reported in recent weeks that his aim is to return to full fitness in time for the start of our pre-season schedule, and based on the image below coupled with other updates that he has shared working at Bodymoor Heath, the Frenchman looks in great shape as he prepares for the new campaign.
Naturally, all footballers make improvements as they get older whether it’s in their training or nutrition, but there is a clear sense that Kamara is in top condition at this stage of the summer.
It’s hoped that he is indeed now ready to begin training with his teammates when they report back to Bodymoor Heath for the start of preparations, and a full run of pre-season games will be ideal to get his match fitness and sharpness back ahead of our Premier League opener against Brighton on August 23.
Villa of course face Paris Saint-Germain for the UEFA Super Cup on August 12, and hopefully Kamara will be available to start that game, particularly after Amadou Onana suffered a serious knee injury of his own during the World Cup earlier this week, which means he could potentially end up missing the entire campaign depending on how his rehabilitation goes.
With Kamara coming back though, it’s great news for Emery, and hopefully he can stay healthy and have his best season in a Villa shirt yet.
💪🏽🟣🔵 Boubacar Kamara #avfc #UTV pic.twitter.com/rMKBvDC8OK
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) July 10, 2026