Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed that midfielder Amadou Onana will miss the Premier League clash against Fulham after experiencing a “small pain” during training on Friday. The injury setback means Onana is unavailable for selection as Villa aim for their first away league victory in three months.
Onana’s Absence Confirmed
Speaking to TNT Sports before kick-off, Emery explained the situation: “He was not feeling good yesterday. He had some small pain.” The Villa boss emphasized that the squad depth is sufficient to cope without the Belgian international. “We have enough players to play, we are here being consistent. We are not thinking when we do not have some players. We have 25 players and every player must feel comfortable to play in the structure that we have,” Emery added.
Bogarde Steps In
In Onana’s absence, Lamare Bogarde has been named in the starting XI and will operate in the double pivot alongside Youri Tielemans. Villa are targeting a return to winning ways on the road, having last won away in January against Newcastle United.
Emery’s Ambitions
Emery stressed the importance of the Premier League campaign: “The Premier League is 38 matches and that is the most important competition. We are in a good position but today we are very demanding of ourselves to try and play for the three points.” He added, “Our last away win was against Newcastle in January. It is always difficult to play away. We are motivated, excited, we have clear objectives and we are playing to win. Hopefully we keep the position that we are in for the top five positions and not thinking about the Europa League next Thursday.”
