Aston Villa star to miss Liverpool clash
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Aston Villa have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of Friday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool. There were also audible boos for manager Arne Slot when he substituted Rio Ngumoha in the second half, reflecting growing frustration among supporters.Attention now turns to Friday’s trip to Aston Villa, where defeat could seriously damage Liverpool’s hopes in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.Villa, who sit fourth in the table, have also been dealt a major injury setback ahead of the fixture, adding another twist to an already tight top-four battle.Meanwhile, Bournemouth have closed the gap after another win, moving to within four points of both Liverpool and Villa, who are fourth and fifth respectively.According to The Athletic, Amadou Onana is targeting a return for Villa’s UEFA Europa League final against Freiburg on May 20, meaning he will miss Liverpool’s game.Onana, who suffered a calf injury in the first leg of the semi-final against Nottingham Forest, missed Villa’s 2-2 draw with Burnley on Sunday.The 24-year-old had been targeting a return in the week leading up to the final in Istanbul.
In his absence, Victor Lindelöf has stepped in impressively alongside Youri Tielemans in midfield for Aston Villa.However, Amadou Onana remains a key player for Unai Emery, who admitted after the draw at Turf Moor that the midfielder could still feature again before the end of the season.“Hopefully but I don’t know,” Emery said in his post-match press conference. In case someone is not available, we will find solutions, like we did always.”Onana has made 36 appearances across all competitions this season, with Aston Villa currently fifth in the Premier League and four points ahead of Bournemouth, who are their closest challengers in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot.Friday night’s meeting at Villa Park is pivotal.
A win for either Villa or Liverpool would move them seven points clear of Bournemouth and nine ahead of Brighton, effectively sealing Champions League qualification.A draw, however, would keep the race alive and give Bournemouth the chance to close the gap further when they host Manchester City on Tuesday. Amadou Onana Aston Villa