Amadou Onana to make injury return vs Fenerbahce as Aston Villa travel images emerge
Aston Villa could welcome Amadou Onana back to the starting XI against Fenerbahce on Thursday.
The Villans are in the midst of an injury crisis right now, with John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara the latest to be ruled out for Villa.
The Frenchman looks set to be out for the season, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek eyed as a replacement for Kamara in the short term.
Ross Barkley has been linked with a Villa exit this month, but is also out injured once again after continuing to struggle with fitness concerns.
That will make the return of Onana all the sweeter as Unai Emery prepares his side to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
Amadou Onana could return vs Fenerbahce
Onana has been superb for Villa for the most part this season, after facing criticism earlier in his tenure in the Midlands.
His performances in the absence of Youri Tielemans this campaign were superb, but his injury record has been seriously frustrating.
It always feels as if the Belgium international gets going and hits the heights expected of him before breaking down with another injury.
That happened this time when the 24-year-old was brought off in the 4-1 away defeat against Arsenal, with his exit making way for the hugely frustrating result.
There has been little noise surrounding his return ever since picking up his latest issue at the Emirates on 30 December.
It finally looks as if the Belgian could be on his way back onto the pitch in the Europa League after he shared an image to his Instagram account on Wednesday.
The story post shows Onana in Villa gear holding a bag on his way to board a flight to Istanbul ahead of the clash with Fenerbahce.
There will be renewed hope from the Villa Park faithful that this could see him return to action in Turkyie after missing the past four games.
How important could Amadou Onana be for Aston Villa?
Onana has been immense for the majority of the season and arguably put in his best recent shift against Manchester United in December.
The Belgian played a key role in the middle of the park as he combined well with Kamara and Tielemans to help get three points against the Red Devils.
He maintained a 90 per cent pass accuracy and created one chance for his teammates as he also completed one dribble in B6.
| Stat vs Manchester United | Amadou Onana |
| Passes completed | 27 |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Tackles won | 3 |
| Clearances | 4 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
His output didn’t end there, as he was also superb defensively, chipping in with 13 defensive contributions and 10 duel victories.
That sort of addition to this side, especially without McGinn, is going to be massive, and there will be hope he hits the ground running in claret and blue once again.
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