Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed a fresh injury concern for his squad following their FA Cup victory at Tottenham Hotspur, with midfielder Boubacar Kamara forced off early in the match.
How the Kamara injury happened
The French international was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Tottenham's Joao Palhinha during the ninth minute of the third-round tie. After skipping past the Portuguese midfielder, Palhinha extended his leg, tripping Kamara to the floor and catching him around the knee area.
Kamara initially attempted to play on but was clearly in significant discomfort. He quickly signalled to teammate Ezri Konsa to put the ball out of play so he could receive treatment on the pitch. After spending several minutes on the ground, the 25-year-old was helped to his feet and had to hobble down the tunnel, unable to continue.
Emery's cautious post-match assessment
Speaking after the 2-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Unai Emery offered a tentative update, stressing the need for patience until a full medical assessment could be completed.
"Tomorrow we will check him. We will know something about his injury," Emery stated in his post-match press conference. "Of course, we must be patient until tomorrow. Hopefully not a big injury, and something less than more."
The Villa boss's comments suggest the club is hoping for positive news but is braced for a potentially significant setback in the heart of their midfield.
Compounding Villa's existing midfield woes
The potential loss of Kamara compounds an already difficult situation for Unai Emery in midfield. The club is already without summer signing Amadou Onana, who is sidelined for the next two to three weeks. Experienced campaigner Ross Barkley is also currently unavailable through injury.
There was some positive team news, however. Defender Pau Torres started his first match since Villa's win over Arsenal in December, a game he himself had to leave late due to injury. Furthermore, Tyrone Mings returned to the matchday squad, taking a place on the bench as he continues his long recovery from a serious knee injury.
First-choice goalkeeper Emi Martinez missed the trip to North London due to a calf problem, with Robin Olsen deputising between the posts.
Villa will now anxiously await the results of Kamara's scan, with the hope that his absence will be short-lived as they continue to compete on multiple fronts this season.
