Aston Villa have been dealt a significant setback ahead of their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, with Unai Emery confirming that midfielder Amadou Onana will miss the fixture due to injury.
Villa return to Premier League action just three days after their disappointing first-leg defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final, and Emery’s side will now have to cope without one of their most influential midfielders.
Onana, who had already sat out the league loss to Fulham, made his return midweek but lasted just 55 minutes at the City Ground before being forced off with what appeared to be a calf problem. The issue has now sidelined him again, with Villa awaiting further medical assessment.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s match, Emery explained that the club are still evaluating the full extent of the injury but made it clear the Senegal international will not feature.
“He has had a scan and we are waiting to understand the consequences. We need to see how he feels over the next few days, but for Sunday he is definitely unavailable,” the Villa manager confirmed.
The timing is far from ideal for Villa, who are pushing for European qualification, while Spurs arrive fighting desperately to escape the relegation zone. Emery will be forced to reshuffle his midfield options once again as he prepares for a physically demanding encounter.
