Can Aston Villa maintain title challenge despite injury crisis?

Fotball writer Adrian Clarke looks at how Emery can adapt to losing his influential midfield trio of John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans.

Team analysis: Aston Villa

With just four points separating the top three for just the seventh time in 34 seasons of Premier League football at this stage of a campaign, Villa are the surprise package as we head towards the title run in.

An outstanding 2-0 win at Newcastle United last weekend raised hopes further, but injury problems are beginning to mount for Unai Emery’s men. 

Will cluster injuries derail Villa?

When it rains, it pours.

Just as Unai Emery’s squad were dusting themselves down from news that central midfield lynchpin Boubacar Kamara will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, two more influential midfielders have also been ruled out.

Scotland international John McGinn has undergone minor knee surgery that will keep him out for up to two months, while Youri Tielemans has an ankle injury which means he is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks.

This trio all feature in what is seen as Emery’s first choice XI, so it is a hammer blow.

McGinn (21 starts), Kamara (17 starts) and Tielemans (15 starts) have played for a combined 4,325 minutes in the league this season, so their combined absence is sure to be felt.

How have Emery’s tactical plans been affected?

McGinn offers Villa’s head coach plenty from a strategic perspective.

The experienced Scot can slot in anywhere across the midfield, but usually plays on the right of midfield in a hybrid role that regularly sees him tuck inside.

Occupying narrow positions on and off the ball, McGinn creates a strong box of four or five in central midfield.

This average position map (below) from the last time McGinn (No 7), Kamara (No 44) and Tielemans (No 8) started together against Nottingham Forest highlights this strength-by-numbers down the central spine.

The positions of their five-man midfield (with a square around them) are integral to the way Villa like to dominate that part of the pitch.

McGinn’s inverted role also drags defenders with him that frees up space for adventurous right-back Matty Cash to fly forward down the wing.

Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey will now battle it out to play on the right, but both are natural wingers who wants to hug the touchline and provide width, so a style change is imminent.

Tielemans also provides Emery with useful options in central midfield.

While the 28-year-old has been utilised mostly as a partner to the left of Kamara in a double pivot, the gifted Belgian can operate superbly as a No 10, behind the main striker.

Tielemans' position and minutes 2025/26

This versatility allows the Villa boss to rotate star man Morgan Rogers between that position and a left-wing slot, keeping opposition managers’ guessing.

What will Villa miss?

This midfield trio tick as a collective because of their combined ability, with and without possession.

For starters, their absence over the next few weeks immediately leaves a creative void.

They have nine assists between them, and when it comes to chances created in open play, McGinn, Tielemans and Kamara all feature inside the top five performers at the club.

Tielemans is also the team’s best progressive passer, creating eight chances from line-breaking passes.

All three feed plenty of quality distribution into the final third.

Villa's midfield creativity stats in 25/26

Off the ball their tireless energy will also be sorely missed over the coming weeks.

McGinn is Villa’s best presser, regaining possession in the final third a team-high 17 times.

Kamara and Tielemans are also strong ball-winners, who will be difficult to replace.

With so much of Emery’s style of play based around winning the ball back and breaking at speed, there is a justifiable fear that upcoming opponents will be able to play through Villa a little easier.

Villa midfielders' possession and duels won

Losing Frenchman Kamara for the remainder of the campaign is a crushing blow for Villa’s title prospects.

The 24-year-old is a smooth operator at the base of midfield, effortlessly breaking up play before shifting the ball quickly to team-mates.

His contributions can easily be overlooked, but he does the simple things better than anybody else at Emery’s disposal.

In essence, his efficient play makes life easier for team-mates, and when you analyse his impact on results, Kamara’s value is clear to see.

A win rate of 57.9 per cent with him, compared to just 40.8 per cent in his absence speaks volumes of his influence.

Aston Villa with and without Kamara

Will it be Onana and Luiz?

There is a big onus now on rangy Belgium international Amadou Onana to be Aston Villa’s dominant central midfielder.

The 24-year-old is powerful, quick across the turf, and a terrific ball winner, coming out on top in 64.66 per cent of his duels.

Despite making just 12 starts he ranks second at Villa for tackles won and interceptions made, so he has the potential to fill the gap which has been left.

The battle to partner Onana will be between 22-year-old Lamare Bogarde, a fit-again Ross Barkley and loan signing Douglas Luiz.

In Emery’s favoured 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2, they will compete for that vacant spot.

Returning to Villa Park, Luiz could make his second debut this weekend, 19 months after being sold to Juventus.

In a side without McGinn’s industry, Emery is more likely to choose two midfielders who can be trusted to win the ball back frequently.

Luiz, who worked fabulously alongside Kamara, has those qualities.

In his final season before leaving for Italy, his ball-winning stats were excellent.

Luiz's defensive stats 2022/23

He was also a goal threat too, supplying nine goals and five assists in 2023/24, and finishing that season with the most key passes for Aston Villa.

Luiz, who struggled to make a big impression at Forest earlier on this season, starting just five Premier League games, will be hungry to revive his fortunes.

His numbers were strong at the City Ground - 2.83 tackles, 1.98 interceptions and 1.42 chances created in open play per 90 - but Sean Dyche was willing to let him go.

How might Villa line up?

With striker Ollie Watkins limping off in Villa’s dramatic 3-2 UEFA Europa League win against Red Bull Salzburg in midweek, we could see another ‘second debut’ against Brentford, this time for Tammy Abraham.

While on loan in 2018/19 from Chelsea, the England international netted 25 Championship goals, so his return is sure to be popular among the fans.

So, even though three classy midfield talents and their first choice striker could all be missing on Sunday, Emery’s potential starting XI still looks strong.

Emiliano Buendia will come infield off the line to form that box of four instead, freeing up Ian Maatsen to supply the bulk of their width down the left.