Aston Villa will be without another player for the upcoming Midlands derby against Wolves due to fresh injuries, according to reports.
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Villa make a short trip to Molineux tonight for the West Midlands derby, and on paper they should easily pick up three points.
Wolves are languishing at the bottom of the Premier League, with just 10 points from 27 games and one win all season, with virtually no hope of survival.
Villa, on the other hand, are in third place, propelled by Champions League football, buoyed by the form and quality that has made them one of the most impressive teams in the division.
Manager Unai Emery tells his players not to assume anything – he pointed to Wolves holding Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at Molineux the other day as evidence that no game is easy – but the expectation remains that Villa will arrive, do their job and leave with a point.
The problem is that Emery will go into the derby with a significant injury list.
John McGinn has been sidelined since January with a knee problem, and the captain is not expected to return until March.
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Youri Tielemans has been out since picking up an ankle injury in the win over Newcastle, and the Belgian will not return until the next international break.
The Boubacar Camara situation is the most troubling of all. The France international will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury in January’s FA Cup match against Tottenham.
All three midfielders were unavailable and all suffered significant losses.
Villa now face a new problem, as reported by Birmingham Live and The Athletic.
Aston Villa defender Andres Garcia suffers new hamstring injury
According to their information, Andres Garcia has suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action for a period of time.
The setback could not have come at a worse time, as he has barely appeared in every campaign since taking over in January 2025, with Matty Cash only recently returning from a knee problem.
Villa’s options at full-back are limited and Garcia’s absence leaves Emery with limited options if Cash runs into further trouble in the coming weeks.
It’s not just the right-back position that Emery has to manage carefully.
Harvey Elliott, on loan from Liverpool, also remains unavailable for the trip to Molineux.
The 22-year-old’s season at Villa Park became one of football’s strangest stories. He was frozen for several months to avoid triggering the £35 million buyout clause attached to his loan, but was reinstated after it became clear that the clause only applied to Premier League appearances.
Elliott has made seven top-flight appearances all season, but his absence is another headache for Emery.
The good news for Emery is that Alisson, who was signed in January, could play a role this weekend after returning from his own injury.
“Alison will be back. I think normally he would be back in tomorrow’s squad,” Emery said at a press conference on Thursday.
“We’re going to train this afternoon in case he’s training this afternoon.
“Other players, and players we know, are out, but we hope to be able to play tomorrow.”
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