Aston Villa injury news: Tim Iroegbunam surgery emerges amid England Under-20 World Cup squad absence
There was joy and despair for two Aston Villa loanees this week, with Aaron Ramsey named in England’s Under-20 World Cup squad but Tim Iroegbunam sharing some ill-timed injury news with fans on Twitter.
Irogebunam, 19, has enjoyed a breakthrough season since sealing his loan move to QPR last summer, making 32 Championship appearances and playing a major role in the club avoiding Championship relegation.
During his time at Loftus Road, the five-capped England Under-20 international hasn’t had it easy, fighting against the drop and working with three separate managers in Michael Beale, Neil Critchley and Gareth Ainsworth.
So when Middlesbrough loanee, Ramsey, featured in the England Under-20 World Cup squad which was released on Thursday (11 May), but Iroegbunam’s name was missing, there was much surprise within Villa’s fanbase.
However, taking to Twitter on Saturday morning (13 May), the midfielder provided fans with a crushing injury update, sharing a picture of himself in a hospital bed after an operation.
He wrote: “Successful operation. Recharge for 2023/24.”
The specifics of the injury are unknown yet, but it suggests that Iroegbunam will be rebuilding his way back up to full fitness before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
Whether he will feature in Unai Emery’s first team next season is yet to be decided and could depend on the transfer business the club undertake this summer, and the positions the Spaniard targets in the market.
Aston Villa currently have Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara and Leander Dendoncker as options in central midfield, but the English youth international will be chomping at the bit to get his name in the mix.
Hopefully, this operation won’t hold back his pre-season training and subsequently damage his Aston Villa chances for next season, otherwise, another loan move in the EFL could be in the offing.
In other Aston Villa news, the club should go all guns blazing for a £60million signing that Gabby Agbonlahor named a “superstar”.