Amadou Onana could be sent back to Aston Villa from international duty after injury – Exclusive
Aston Villa could welcome Amadou Onana back from Belgium earlier than expected, Villa News can exclusively reveal.
Onana has left Villa to link up with the Belgium squad despite being ruled out since late August at Villa Park.
The 24-year-old returned in added time as Villa beat Burnley 2-1 last time out, but failed to make his presence felt in a short cameo.
Onana could disrupt the Villa squad after they hit a positive run in form with four wins in their last four games across all competitions.
It was still frustrating to learn that Onana had been called up to his national team after being out for so long, but it appears that he could soon be on his way home.
Amadou Onana could be sent back to Aston Villa after Belgium assessment
Onana joined Villa from Everton in the summer of 2024 but has failed to truly live up to his £50million price tag in B6.
There is still hope that he can thrive in claret and blue after what was a terrific start to his spell after his record Midlands move.
If that is to happen, the central midfielder has to be fully fit, but being called up to the national team when recovering from injury won’t necessarily help.
A source close to the Belgian national team has revealed to Villa News that Onana is unlikely to feature from the start over the international break.
The Red Devils’ medical staff will review the Villa man and make a judgment on his fitness, with Axel Witsel and Nico Raskin also in the squad.
This could result in Onana being sent home early, back to Aston Villa, with clashes against North Macedonia and Wales coming up.
Onana seen as leadership figure with Belgium
Villa fans are still unsold about the former Lille youngster after what has been a patchy spell since a big-money move to the Midlands.
Onana was terrific as a substitute against Newcastle United towards the end of last year as he netted a thunderbolt to help secure a 4-1 win.
This is the sort of player that the Holte End want to see more of, but haven’t been able to this campaign due to injury.
Frustration has arisen from this, as his call-up for Belgium makes no sense to supporters after so little game time for the Villans.
This may be due to his stature as a leadership figure with the Red Devils, something in which he clearly thrives.
Speaking on this back in 2024, he said: “Many players see me as a leader [for Belgium], and I have to show that on the pitch. That won’t change.“
Onana may not get a chance to showcase this in the current international break if he is to be sent back to Bodymoor Heath in the coming days.
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