Goretzka, Cash and Manzambi: Aston Villa injury news update and return dates ahead of Nottingham Forest clash
The latest Aston Villa injury news and potential return dates as they prepare to take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League
Aston Villa ended their three-match losing streak on Tuesday evening, as they claimed a 3-2 win over Club Brugge in a highly entertaining Champions League clash. All Villa’s goals were scored in the first half, with captain John McGinn, Emi Buendia and summer signing Nicolas Jackson all finding the back of the net at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
With three precious Champions League points in the bag ahead of tougher tests including the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, manager Unai Emery will now be returning his thoughts to domestic matters. Next up, Villa take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. Their opponents have had a similarly tough start to the league season, and currently sit two places above the Villans in 16th place.
The Tricky Trees will be out for revenge when the two sides meet this weekend, after Villa knocked them out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage last April on their way to glory in Istanbul. Ahead of Emery’s side hosting Forest at Villa Park, we’ve got the latest Aston Villa injury news involving a number of key players.
When will Manzambi be back from injury?
Aston Vila will be eager to see summer signing Johan Manzambi return from the knee injury he suffered back in early July during the World Cup. He’s back in training but Emery appears determined not to rush him back into action. The Villa boss said earlier this week that he’s still unsure whether the 20-year-old would be available for Forest.
As things stand a cameo appearances against Coventry City on 16th September could potentially be on the cards, but the following game against Spurs looks more likely. It remains to be seen whether Manzambi will play in a central role or out wide once he’s back to full fitness. Estimated return date: 19th September vs Spurs.
Elsewhere, promising young striker Brian Madjo suffered a foot injury in Villa’s Super Cup loss to PSG back in mid-August and hasn’t played since. The severity of his knock looks to be worse than initially thought, and it’s now expected that he won’t be back in action until after the upcoming international break. Estimated return date: 10th October vs Brentford.
How long will Goretzka be out for?
Leon Goretzka has endured a frustrating start at the club since joining the Villans late last month following the expiration of his contract at Bayern Munich. The player succumbed to a knee injury in training soon afterwards, and admitted that his body had struggled to adapt to the increased workload following his post-World Cup break.
The 31-year-old won’t be back in action until after the international break, as he looks to fully recover before having his first taste of Premier League football. After spending his entire career to date playing in Germany, it will be fascinating to see how the seven-time Bundesliga winner adapts to English football. Estimated return date: 10th October vs Brentford.
Full-back Matty Cash is another potential absentee for the clash against Forest, after missing Villa’s trip to Brugge with muscular discomfort. Emery opted not to risk the Poland international, handing summer signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka an opportunity to fill in at right-back. Assuming Cash’s problem is nothing more than discomfort, he should be fit to play this weekend. Estimated return date: 12th September vs Nottingham Forest.
Amadou Onana could potentially miss the whole of Villa’s season, after suffering an ACL injury while competing in the World Cup with Belgium. As things stand, it would be optimistic to suggest he could be back in action by April, with the final May run-in looking more likely. Estimated return date: Early/mid-May.