Aston Villa dealt injury blow as midfielder is ruled out until after international break
· Yahoo Sports
Leon Goretzka Injury Blow Leaves Aston Villa Waiting on Midfield Gamble
Aston Villa signed Leon Goretzka to add experience, physicality and pedigree to their midfield. So far, they have had none of it. The 31-year-old German, capped 73 times by his country, remains unavailable and will not return until after the international break.
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Unai Emery wanted him involved from the start of the season, but that plan has already gone off course. Goretzka arrived without a pre-season, has been playing catch-up physically and has now suffered a setback. The result is simple, he missed the Premier League game against Hull City and will also sit out Villa’s opening Champions League fixture against Club Brugge.
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Goretzka Injury Raises Early Questions
This was always a calculated risk. Goretzka has quality, that part is not in dispute. The issue was whether his body and his recent workload would allow Villa to get value quickly enough. At 31, with injury concerns and limited recent football behind him, this was never a straightforward signing.
Now the concerns are louder. He has yet to make his debut and Villa are already moving through a critical stretch of the season without him. For a side trying to establish rhythm in both the Premier League and Champions League, that matters.
Joao Gomes Set for Bigger Role
There is at least one immediate upside for Emery. Fellow summer arrival Joao Gomes is set to make his Champions League debut for Villa, and that gives the manager a fitter and more realistic option in midfield right now. Johan Manzambi is back in training too, although Emery is unlikely to rush him into action.
Villa Midfield Depth Could Be Tested
No one sensible is writing Goretzka off yet. If he gets fit and finds sharpness, he can still become useful. But football moves quickly and patience has limits. Villa did not bring him in to watch from the stands through August and September.
If this delay drags on, Villa’s recruitment staff need to be honest about it and start assessing alternatives. Experience helps, reputation helps, but availability remains the first requirement. Right now, the Aston Villa midfield is waiting on a player who cannot contribute, and that is a problem.