Aston Villa: Youri Tielemans must seize opportunity amid ‘Huge’ Boubacar Kamara update
Aston Villa have been devastated by the injury to Boubacar Kamara, with Alan Hutton dubbing the absence of the midfield star a “huge miss”.
The 24-year-old has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2023/24 season with an ACL rupture, as per The Athletic, leaving Unai Emery with a tough job to fill his boots in the middle of the park.
Douglas Luiz has been a superb performer during the current campaign, but without Kamara alongside him, it is tough to say what kind of effect his absence could have on the team.
There is little that can be done about the injury blow, with Villa choosing against any new additions during the January transfer window, so Emery will need to call upon his squad players to step up.
Youri Tielemans the midfield solution for Aston Villa?
Having replaced Leon Bailey during a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday 11 February, Youri Tielemans has proven that he has the ability to play alongside Luiz and protect the defensive backline, which has also been struck by injuries.
In just 17 minutes of football against the Red Devils, the Belgian maintained an 86 per cent pass completion as The Villans chased an equaliser, completed 100 per cent of his dribbles, and made five passes into the final third. [FotMob]
Tielemans is known for his attacking ability and calmness on the ball, with Kamara a more box-to-box midfielder in Emery’s current set-up. However, the former’s stats would suggest that Tielemans could possibly fill the role in his absence.
The 26-year-old won 100 per cent of his tackles, combatting a strong midfield of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, while winning 75 per cent of his ground duels and 100 per cent of his aerial battles. [FotMob]
Adopting Boubacar Kamara’s role for Unai Emery
Although replacing winger Leon Bailey against Man United, it can be clearly seen, via the player’s heatmap, that Tielemans was deputising in a far more central role, adopting Kamara’s usual role. [Sofascore]
And despite a limited cameo at Villa Park, Tielemans looks to have outperformed the Frenchman before he was taken off injured after 65 minutes.
Kamara only made four passes into the final third, while winning one tackle, albeit 100 per cent tackle success, compared to Tielemans’ three tackles. While he had an impact on the ground, he won 0 per cent of his aerial duels. [FotMob]
If Emery chooses to trust the former Leicester City midfielder, he may have quickly found a solution to Kamara’s long-term injury, or at least a fix until the summer transfer window.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton believes Villa have one star who has “got what it takes” to step up after Boubacar Kamara’s injury
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.