Aston Villa have lost a bit of momentum over their last two games and Unai Emery has now been handed a worrying injury update on one of his star men, according to an expert in the subject.
Aston Villa look to January as form stalls
On a crisp night at Old Trafford, Aston Villa surrendered a comfortable two-goal lead to lose out 3-2 at Manchester United, as Emery's men looked lost in the second half despite their incredible start to the Premier League campaign.
Although well on track to finish in the Champions League slots, a loss against the Red Devils coupled with a draw at home to Sheffield United has left the Villans in a position where they have to fight past their first minor blip this term; however, the January transfer window will offer up a great opportunity to add more strength in depth to their talented squad.
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Bolstering across the front looks to have become a priority for Aston Villa with the mid-season window around the corner, and reports suggest that Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho is a player of interest who they believe they can acquire for between £5-10 million. The Nigeria international is out of contract at the King Power Stadium in the summer of 2024. At the same time, RB Leipzig attacker Timo Werner is also on the radar in the West Midlands.
Injury worries could also tempt Emery into trying to recruit reinforcements after it emerged that Lucas Digne is potentially set for a spell on the sidelines after hurting himself in his side's defeat at Old Trafford. Now, the Spaniard could be set for some further bad news regarding the availability of one of his key men who has been out with a long-term injury.
Aston Villa injury update – Tyrone Mings
Speaking to Aston Villa News, injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has indicated that long-time Aston Villa absentee Tyrone Mings' injury is "more significant than previously thought" as the England international continues to battle back from a serious ACL issue.
Tyrone Mings' injury history at Aston Villa (Transfermarkt)
Injury
Season and time absent
Calf injury
2019/20 – 5 days out
Muscle strain
2019/20 – 22 days out
ACL tear
2023/24 – 198 days and counting
Brar told the outlet: "Firstly, I just want to say how glad I am to see Mings being so open and candid with his recovery, the bad and the good. This is oftentimes what fans don’t see and don’t realise when players through go major injuries so any time a player shows that side, it makes them that much more human to fans."
As for recovery, a key piece of information is that the injury looks to have been more significant than previously thought so the timeline will be stretched out a bit. He’s still in the relatively early phases with mobility work and light strengthening."
Having made just one appearance this campaign, the former Bournemouth man, who was previously labelled "fantastic" by old boss Steven Gerrard, looks like he will be out for some time to come as the Villans look to maintain their push for Champions League football.