Maatsen returns to Aston Villa training as Emery confirms injuries before Viking match
Ian Maatsen is training with Aston Villa again, but Johan Manzambi will miss Wednesday’s Champions League match and Aaron Wan-Bissaka faces several weeks out.
Aston Villa defender Ian Maatsen returned to team training on Tuesday, 20 October, before Wednesday’s Champions League home match against Viking. Manager Unai Emery also confirmed that Johan Manzambi would miss the game and said Aaron Wan-Bissaka was expected to be out for about three to four weeks, adding to Villa’s selection problems.
“He’s joined us and is training with us this week,” Emery said of Maatsen, according to Hayters TV. Maatsen had been sidelined since Villa’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest in mid-September. His return to group training does not settle whether he will be ready to play against Viking; theScore, citing Birmingham Live’s John Townley, said his availability remained uncertain.
Villa’s absences before the Viking match
Emery described Manzambi’s injury as small but said he was unavailable for Wednesday. Hayters reported that Manzambi picked up the problem in Villa’s 1-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday, 17 October. Wan-Bissaka was also injured in that match; the Express & Star identified his injury as a hamstring problem. Emery put his expected absence at roughly three or four weeks.
Matteo Ruggeri and Amadou Onana also remain unavailable. Emery said Onana had been out for a long time and Ruggeri for about two months. Despite the absences, he said Villa had enough players and would find solutions for the Viking match: “We have enough players, no excuses.”
Tyrone Mings offers cover at left-back
Tyrone Mings finished the Newcastle game at left-back after Wan-Bissaka’s injury, the Express & Star reported. Mings said Emery had asked him earlier that week how he felt about filling in there if needed. “If someone drops out, someone will cover,” he said, describing the squad’s approach to injuries.
The position would be a return to an earlier role for Mings, who started his career at full-back. According to the Express & Star, he has not started a match at left-back since leaving Ipswich for Bournemouth in 2015. Mings said he hurt his hip after moving across against Newcastle but that it was fine.
The availability update follows Villa’s Newcastle victory, when Manzambi scored and Emery reached his 100th Premier League win as Villa manager. That result is covered in our earlier report on Manzambi’s winner at Newcastle; the immediate question for Villa is how Emery fills the gaps in Wednesday’s side.
Read in depth: Sports
Erik ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo let Manchester United down
The former United manager said Ronaldo lacked the preparation and movement needed for the role he had planned for him during their brief time together at Old Trafford.
Rams fall to 2-4 after late Cardinals field goal as injuries mount
Arizona’s last-second field goal handed Los Angeles an 18-16 home defeat. Sean McVay said the Rams’ energy fell short as injuries mount at receiver, defensive tackle and kicker.
Sources and context
- Aston Villa defender back in training – but Emery confirms injury blows ahead of Viking gameHayters TV, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen: Returns to training ahead of Viking clashtheScore, with item credited to Rotowire and attributed to John Townley of Birmingham Live
- Aston Villa man ready to 'roll back the years' after more injury woeExpress & Star
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.