Aston Villa boss Unai Emery confirms potential first team injury blow ahead of Sunderland clash

Unai Emery Confirms Injury Setback for Victor Lindelof Ahead of Sunderland Clash

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed that defender Victor Lindelof is dealing with a “small injury” ahead of the team’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Sunderland this Sunday.

The Black Cats will welcome Villa to the Stadium of Light, aiming to continue their promising start to the season. Sunderland have taken seven points from their first four league matches and will look to extend that momentum.

In contrast, Villa have endured a difficult start, sitting 19th in the table with two draws and no wins. They have also yet to score a goal in league play. While they did find the net in a 1-1 Carabao Cup draw against Brentford midweek, they were eliminated on penalties.

Latest Injury News from Aston Villa

Adding to Villa’s troubles, Swedish centre-back Lindelof was absent from the squad in Tuesday’s cup fixture in West London.

The summer signing has featured for just seven minutes in the Premier League so far, and Emery confirmed after the match that his exclusion was due to a minor injury.

According to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the manager described the issue as a “small injury,” although it remains uncertain whether Lindelof will recover in time for Sunday’s game.

Emery also offered an update on midfielder Youri Tielemans, who picked up an ankle injury during last weekend’s goalless draw with Everton.

Fortunately for Villa, the problem appears to be less serious than initially feared. Emery commented, “It is better than we expected. Maybe in one or two weeks he will be available.”

There was better news regarding Boubacar Kamara, who returned from a hamstring injury to feature off the bench against Brentford. Meanwhile, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are reportedly nearing comebacks as well.

Onana has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since before the international break, while Barkley is working to regain full fitness following a personal matter.

Sunderland’s Injury Situation

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris also provided an update on his squad ahead of the Villa match. Speaking at a press conference last week, he revealed that defender Dan Ballard is expected to be available for Sunday’s fixture.

“Dan should be back for Aston Villa,” Le Bris confirmed.

However, several other players remain sidelined. Dennis Cirkin is still recovering from a wrist injury and a new issue with his knee, while Leo Hjelde is undergoing a longer recovery period following surgery on both Achilles tendons.

Le Bris explained that Hjelde needs complete rest before reintegrating with the squad.

Luke O’Nien is expected to be back around the time of the Villa match, and Aji Alese is also nearing a return. That said, Le Bris acknowledged that Alese may need more time to reach full match sharpness after a lengthy absence.