Aston Villa manager Unai Emery faces a fresh injury concern as his squad prepares to host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park this Saturday in the Premier League.
The team's impressive winning run was halted emphatically in a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday, a match that also saw midfielder Amadou Onana forced off at half-time with a suspected hamstring injury.
Amadou Onana's Hamstring Worry
The Belgian international, 24, first required treatment on his right leg less than half an hour into the match at the Emirates Stadium. Despite attempting to continue, he was replaced by John McGinn for the second half.
Emery confirmed the injury post-match, stating it was a turning point. "We lost everything in the middle," the manager said, highlighting Onana's importance.
Further tests this week will determine the severity, but there is understandable anxiety given Onana's history. He missed eight matches earlier this season with a hamstring issue and was sidelined for 13 games in the 2024/25 campaign due to similar problems.
Defensive Duo Nearing Return
In more positive news, Villa could soon welcome back key defenders Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings. Both, however, remain major doubts for the weekend's fixture.
Prior to the victory over Manchester United, Emery indicated the pair were roughly two weeks away from a return. Neither has been publicly confirmed as back in full training, with the manager noting they are "continuing their process."
Barring any setbacks, both centre-backs are likely to be ready for the trip to Crystal Palace next week, making their involvement against Forest at Villa Park on Saturday unlikely.
Suspensions Served and International Duty
Emery will at least have two important players back from suspension. Full-back Matty Cash and midfielder Boubacar Kamara are both available again after serving one-match bans for accumulating five yellow cards.
The only other potential absentee is summer signing Evann Guessand. The winger remains on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast, who play Gabon on New Year's Eve.
Should Ivory Coast be eliminated, Guessand could theoretically return in time, but it is more probable that Villa will have to wait a little longer for his services.
Villa will be desperate to return to winning ways against Nottingham Forest and will hope the results of Onana's scans provide some positive news amidst the defensive waiting game.
