The latest injury updates from European hopefuls Tottenham and Aston Villa
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After winning all of their last four matches, things are finally beginning to look better for Aston Villa as they start to put the heartbreak of missing out on the Champions League and their subsequent PSR struggles behind them.
Villa have started their Europa League campaign in the exact manner you would expect a team led by a four-time winner to approach it. While they are also now up to 12th in the Premier League table after victories over Fulham and Burnley, leaving them within three points of a European position at this early stage.
Unai Emery’s side still have a bit of work to do if they are to be viewed in the same way as they were towards the end of last season when they went toe to toe with Paris Saint-Germain but the signs are positive and they can really start to think about Europe again if they can pick up all three points against a Tottenham side that have looked rejuvenated under new boss Thomas Frank.
Both sides know that a victory could play an important role in the race for European qualification in seven months time and it’s likely that the finest margins, including injuries could play a role in deciding this contest. With that in mind, we take a look at the early injury news from both the Tottenham and Aston Villa camps ahead of what promises to be an intriguing spectacle in North London.
Tottenham Hotspur injury news
Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be without playmaker James Maddison for almost the entirety of the season after he sustained a damaging ACL injury. He’s unlikely to kick a ball until at least May, and would need a miraculous recovery to get back into contention for the World Cup in North America.
Maddison is joined in the treatment room by Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede has been a big miss for club and country in recent months with a knee issue, and won’t be back until mid-November. Dominic Solanke also misses out with a foot injury. He’s struggled with numerous issues throughout the campaign and is unlikely to play again until next month.
Yves Bissouma, who was heavily linked with a move away after failing to make the Champions League squad, also misses out. He’s not featured competitively since the Europa League final win and is currently nursing a knee injury, with no timeline on his recovery currently determined.
Randal Kolo Muani, who has had an injury-ravaged start to his Tottenham career, is a doubt with a thigh injury but is now showing positive signs of recovery. The same applies to Kota Takai, who is training with his new teammates after recovering from a foot problem. Defender Radu Dragusin, who sustained an ACL injury, is believed to be close to a return but this fixture is still expected to come too soon as he continues his rehab.
Aston Villa injury news
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is sweating over the fitness of four first team stars heading into the Tottenham match. Midfielder Emi Buendia, who is starting to rediscover his best form, is believed to be nursing a face injury but could still be available by the weekend.
The same applies to Andres Garcia, who is lacking match sharpness, and Tyrone Mings, who has a foot problem.
Ollie Watkins collided with the post whilst playing for England against Wales, and is out of the squad to take on Latvia. It makes him a fresh doubt for the weekend.
Youri Tielemans has missed a number of matches with a calf injury and it’s not yet clear if he’s fit enough to return to training.