Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans is facing a significant spell on the sidelines, with manager Unai Emery confirming that the midfielder will be out for up to 10 weeks due to an ankle injury. The 28-year-old Belgian sustained the injury during Villa's 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday. Tielemans was forced off the pitch in the 74th minute after a collision with Newcastle's Lewis Miley.
This injury compounds an already challenging situation for Aston Villa, who are currently vying for a top spot in the Premier League. Tielemans joins Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn on the injury list, further depleting Emery's midfield options. Kamara is expected to miss the remainder of the season, while McGinn is likely to be out for six to eight weeks.
Emery addressed the media on Wednesday, providing an update on the injured trio. "We know about Kamara, McGinn and Tielemans," he stated. "Kamara is a long time, I think he's not going to play this season. McGinn, more or less, is 6-8 weeks out, and Tielemans is 8-10 weeks out".
Tielemans has been a key figure for Aston Villa, appearing in 22 matches across all competitions this season and scoring one goal. His absence will undoubtedly be a blow to the team's ambitions.
In response to the injury crisis, Aston Villa have moved swiftly to reinforce their midfield. The club has re-signed Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus. The 27-year-old Brazilian previously played for Villa, making over 200 appearances before his move to Juventus in 2024. Luiz spent the first half of the season on loan at Nottingham Forest. Villa also completed the signing of England striker Tammy Abraham from Besiktas for £18 million.
Emery also hinted at other potential midfield options, stating that Amadou Onana is nearing his return, and Ross Barkley will be back in a few days. "Amadou Onana will be coming back and Barkley will be back in a few days," said Emery. "He has been training individually but he's so close to joining us".
Aston Villa are currently third in the Premier League, four points behind leaders Arsenal. They are aiming to win their first English title since 1981. With key players sidelined, the upcoming weeks will present a significant test of their squad depth and resilience. The team is also preparing for their Europa League match against RB Salzburg on Thursday.
