Goretzka, Manzambi and Madjo: Aston Villa injury news update and return dates ahead of Hull City clash
The latest Aston Villa injury news as they prepare to face Hull City in the Premier League this weekend
Aston Villa’s 2026/27 Premier League season has got off to a shaky start with back-to-back defeats. They began the campaign with a brutal 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, in a match where all four goals were scored by the 31st minute of the game. An improved performance followed against Arsenal, with Villa falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
It’s been a summer of great change at Villa Park, with the entire spine of the side who won the Europa League last season getting ripped out of the course of the transfer window. Morgan Rogers made a big-money move to Chelsea along with goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa joined Arsenal to cover for the injured William Saliba, Youri Tielemans joined Man United, and Ollie Watkins went to Al Hilal.
Villa will now be looking to put the past behind them and crack on with their new signings, as Unai Emery works tirelessly to gel his new-look squad. Next up in the Premier League, the Villans travel to take on high-flying Hull City, who are third in the league table after winning their opening two matches of the season. Here is the latest Aston Villa injury news ahead of Saturday’s big game.
Will Leon Goretzka play against Hull City?
Leon Goretzka: The signing of Goretzka was a serious coup for Villa, as they snapped up a seven-times Bundesliga champion and past Champions League winner on a free transfer, once his contract with Bayern Munich expired. He’s not been ready to go straight into the first team, however.
Emery revealed earlier this week that the 31-year-old midfield gem could well feature against Hull on Saturday. It was made clear that the 73-cap Germany international has no injury issues, but needs more training sessions with the side before being fit enough to play. He’s likely to be on the bench against the Tigers, and could feature at some point in the second half. Expected return date: 5th September vs Hull City.
Brian Madjo: It was rotten luck for the 17-year-old on his debut for Villa, scoring a goal in the Super Cup against PSG, only to succumb to injury in the same game. The exciting young talent will likely get plenty of minutes once he’s back to full fitness, jostling with Nicolas Jackson and Tammy Abraham as Villa test themselves in four competitions again this season.
There’s been little in the way of updates on Madjo’s progress in returning from his foot injury since late last month. As things stand, a return against Hull won’t be on the cards, and the Luxembourg international returning to face Club Brugge in the Champions League next week doesn’t look particularly likely either. Estimated return date: 12th September vs Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa injury news: Johan Manzambi recovery continues
Johan Manzambi: Villa fans are desperate to see their new attacking midfielder in action, following his £60m move from Bundesliga side Freiburg. He’s been out with injury since early July, when he damaged his knee in a training session with Switzerland during the World Cup. He’s now back in training, but will likely be introduced to first team football cautiously to avoid an unwanted relapse. Estimated return date: 12th December vs Nottingham Forest.
Leon Bailey: The Jamaica international’s current injury status is a bit of a mystery. He hasn’t featured for the club since picking up a muscular injury in a pre-season friendly against Porto in July, and rumours suggest he’s been frozen out of the squad amid ongoing transfer speculation. He could well end up joining Watkins in the Saudi Pro League before their window closes on September 6th. Estimated return date: unknown.
Amadou Onana: Cruelly struck down with an ACL injury during the World Cup, the Belgium international will likely miss the bulk of Villa’s 2026/27 campaign. His expected return depends largely on his rehabilitation progress, with a long and frustrating road to recovery ahead. Estimated return date: Late April/Early May.