Aston Villa fought back from two goals down to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory against RB Salzburg in their Europa League match at Villa Park on Thursday, but the win was overshadowed by an injury to star striker Ollie Watkins. The result sees Villa finish in the top two of their Europa League group, guaranteeing them a place in the last 16 and avoiding the knockout play-offs.

The home side started brightly, with Watkins involved early on, forcing a save from Salzburg goalkeeper Alexander Schlager after being played in by Emiliano Buendia. However, Salzburg grew into the game and began to exploit Villa's defensive setup.

Villa's problems compounded in the 35th minute when Watkins pulled up, clutching his hamstring, and was forced to leave the pitch. Morgan Rogers replaced him. Just moments before Watkins' substitution, Tyrone Mings was caught in possession by Edmund Baidoo, who squared the ball for Karim Konate to tap in, giving Salzburg the lead.

Salzburg continued to threaten, and early in the second half, Kerim Alajbegovic drove past several challenges before setting up Moussa Yeo to double their advantage. However, Unai Emery's half-time introduction of Matty Cash changed the game's dynamic. Villa pressed higher and moved the ball with more urgency.

Villa began their comeback when Rogers finished off a good attacking move. Then, Mings atoned for his earlier error by scoring from a Cash cross to level the score. With the game heading for a draw, teenage substitute Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, assisted by Kadan Young, scored a late winner in the 88th minute to complete the turnaround and send the Villa Park crowd into raptures.

Despite the victory, the major talking point was the injury to Watkins. He appeared to tweak his hamstring. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but his premature departure is a major concern for Villa, especially with a game against Brentford on Sunday.

Manager Unai Emery provided a brief update after the match, saying, "He felt something, but not a lot. We will test him. Hopefully, we are thinking that is not a lot. I don't know if he will be available for Sunday".

Watkins' potential absence would be a significant blow to Villa's Premier League title hopes, particularly with the club already missing key players such as Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, and Youri Tielemans through injury. The Villains have recently signed Tammy Abraham, who was ineligible for the Salzburg game but may be needed against Brentford.