Aston Villa have suffered a double injury blow ahead of their final pre-season friendly of the summer. Both Brian Madjo and João Gomes are nursing injuries and are expected to miss the start of the new campaign.
It comes as a major blow for Unai Emery, with Gomes and Madjo arguably among the club’s best performers during pre-season this summer. According to The Athletic, Gomes is set to miss at least the next two weeks of action, while Madjo will be sidelined until September at the earliest.
Injury Details and Impact
Gomes suffered a calf strain in the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while the nature of Madjo’s injury has not yet been confirmed. Key trio Emi Martínez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins are yet to feature in pre-season after being given a four-week post-World Cup break.
Meanwhile, Johan Manzambi has been recovering from a knee injury, while Alejandro Garnacho was observing concussion protocols after the clash with PSG. Amadou Onana is already ruled out for most, if not all, of next season with an ACL injury suffered during the World Cup.
Transfer Plans and Squad Depth
Villa want to replace Onana with a loan signing next season, with João Palhinha a prime target. However, Bayern Munich want to sell the midfielder permanently instead. This adds to the urgency for Villa to address their squad depth ahead of the new season.
With several key players missing or recovering, the club will need to rely on other squad members during the early part of the campaign. The double injury blow underscores the challenges facing Unai Emery as he prepares his team for the upcoming fixtures.
Next Steps and Upcoming Fixtures
Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday, August 12, as the Europa League and Champions League winners meet in Austria. Fans can watch the game live on TNT Sports via HBO Max or Prime Video's HBO Max channel.
The club will hope to have Gomes and Madjo back as soon as possible, while they continue to assess their options in the transfer market. The focus now shifts to the Super Cup final, where Villa will look to start the season on a positive note despite the injury setbacks.
