Manzambi, Abraham and Madjo: Aston Villa injury news update and expected return dates
The latest Aston Villa injury news as Unai Emery’s side prepare to take on Arsenal next week
Aston Villa’s 2026/27 Premier League campaign got off to a nightmare start, with Unai Emery’s side suffering a 4-0 battering away to Brighton & Hove Albion on the first day of the season. The Villans looked utterly shellshocked as the Seagulls ran riot, plundering all their four goals in just over half an hour, before a red card for the visitors put the final nail in the coffin.
After a summer which has seen a number of key players leave including Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, Villa’s weakened side were put to the sword by a far more settled outfit. As things stand, Emery’s men are rock bottom of the Premier League, but will be mindful that last season’s dismal start eventually gave way to Europa League glory.
Next up, Villa face an even tougher challenge: hosting Premier League champions Arsenal next Monday night. Mikel Arteta’s side barely got out of second gear as they cruised to a 3-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City, and the Villans will need to be at their best to deny the north London side another three points for their title defence.
Meanwhile, Emery has some early-season injury headaches to contend with, which he’ll be hoping are resolved as soon as possible as his squad prepare for the rigours of competing in the Premier League, Champions League and both domestic cup competitions. Here is the latest Aston Villa injury news ahead of their clash against Arsenal.
Aston Villa injury news update
Villa will be without star midfield Amadou Onana for a decent chunk of this season. The Belgium international suffered a brutal ACL injury during the 2026 World Cup in a 4-1 win over the USA. His return date will depend heavily on the progress he makes during his rehabilitation, but as things stand, he’s unlikely to feature again until late April.
Rising star Brian Madjo is also on the sidelines, albeit for a significantly shorter period of time. The young striker captured the eye of the footballing world with his highly impressive display against PSG in the Super Cup earlier this month, but a knock suffered in that game saw him ruled out of last weekend’s opener. A return against Hull City on 5th September could be on the cards, however.
Exciting summer signing Johan Manzambi was another player to fall foul of injury during the World Cup, injuring his knee when training with quarter-finalists Switzerland early last month. Emery has suggested that the £60m signing could be back in action within two weeks, which suggests he may feature against Nottingham Forest on September 12th.
Backup striker Tammy Abraham will also be looking to return to action soon, as he continues his recover from what is believed to be a relatively minor groin injury sustained during Villa’s final pre-season friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach. With the side notably short on numbers up top, Emery could bring him back in time to face Arsenal next week.
Will Aston Villa sign any more players before the deadline?
Aston Villa have had a busier summer than expected, with the aforementioned exodus of key players seeing them dip into the market for replacements. Alongside big-money signing Manzambi, nightmare debutant Joao Gomes came in for £38m, alongside left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Serie A side Parma.
Loan duo Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alejandro Garnacho were also recruited from West Ham United and Chelsea respectively. Villa aren’t done yet, however, and are expected to sign three new players before the transfer window closes on September 1st: a centre-back to replace Konsa, a midfielder to cover Onana, and a striker either to replace Ollie Watkins or to be his understudy.
Watkins looks highly likely to leave before the deadline, as he prepares to trade Champions League football for the riches of the Saudi Pro League - a competition ranked below the top tier leagues in countries such as Cyprus, Hungary and Uruguay in Opta’s most recent table. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson looks set to be his replacement, if Villa can thrash out a deal with the Blues in time.
In terms of Onana’s replacement, Villa look to have missed out on top target Joao Palhinha, who is closing in on a move from Bayern Munich to Benfica. It’s believed that Villa wanted to sign him on loan, but the Bundesliga giants wanted his exit to be permanent. However, Leon Goretzka is now closing in on a move to Villa Park, in what would be a bargain swoop for a highly-experienced free agent.
Replacing Konsa will be tricky for Villa, who will be cursing their luck after having the spine forcibly ripped out by their Premier League rivals over the summer months. Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis is a key target, but Villa saw their initial offer knocked back. Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez is now believed to be of interest, along with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori.