What games Youri Tielemans will miss for Aston Villa after latest injury setback
Youri Tielemans is set to be missing for an extended period of time after suffering a setback in his recovery from a calf injury.
Aston Villa were expecting to have Tielemans back after the international break, but can now expect to be without the Belgian for a longer time.
In his absence, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Lamare Bogarde have coped well, but Unai Emery will be frustrated not to have the former Leicester City man among his options.
Amadou Onana is set to play for Belgium this week, after the midfielder made his own return to the Villa squad against Burnley.
Villa beat Burnley 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday, with Bogarde and Kamara attracting huge praise for their performances.
Youri Tielemans set to be out for up to five weeks
Tielemans picked up his injury against Everton in September, and the issue was thought to be fairly minor, with Villa expecting the midfielder to return swiftly.
Almost a month on, however, and the Belgium international is still no closer to returning.
Tielemans was key for Villa last season, undoubtedly representing the best passer in Emery’s midfield, and a key figure in how the Spaniard would like his side to progress the ball.
Without the 28-year-old, Villa have looked to go more direct – which has not necessarily been a bad thing in recent games.
Jacob Tanswell reported on Wednesday that Tielemans has now suffered a setback in his recovery, and is expected to be unavailable for up to five further weeks.
What games will Tielemans miss for Villa?
Unfortunately for Villa, Tielemans is set to be missing for what will be among the most difficult groups of games of the season.
After the international break, Emery’s side will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Spurs, before flying to the Netherlands for their third Europa League fixture of the season, against Go Ahead Eagles.
Upon their return, Villa will host Manchester City in the Premier League, before making the trip up north to take on champions Liverpool at Anfield.
| Aston Villa – fixtures | Date |
| Tottenham (A) | 19 Oct |
| Go Ahead Eagles (A) | 23 Oct |
| Manchester City (H) | 26 Oct |
| Liverpool (A) | 1 Nov |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv (H) | 6 Nov |
| Bournemouth (H) | 9 Nov |
The Villans are then set to face Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League, although some doubt still hangs over this fixture amid discussions to ban Israel from UEFA competition.
A meeting with high-flying Bournemouth at Villa Park will round off an extremely difficult run of fixtures for Villa.
Barring any further setback, Tielemans should be expected to return to action following the November international break.
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