Unai Emery issues Emi Buendia injury update after Aston Villa defeat vs Newcastle in FA Cup
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is hopeful Emi Buendia has not picked up a serious injury after going off against Newcastle United.
Villa were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage on Saturday after a 3-1 loss to Newcastle in a controversial showdown.
Tammy Abraham opened the scoring despite looking offside in the 14th minute, as the Villa Park outfit benefited from VAR not being in use.
Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizet was then sent off for a foul on Jacob Murphy before the break, before a Sandro Tonali double and a late Nick Woltemade goal completed the visitors’ comeback.
And to make matters worse for Emery‘s side, Argentina international Buendia could not continue in the 65th minute in another potential injury concern for Villa.
Unai Emery hopeful over Emi Buendia after FA Cup exit
Despite having 42.8 per cent possession and eight shots to Newcastle’s 12, Emery had nothing but praise for his players.
He said his team competed “fantastically”, but after the red card, things became “more difficult” for Villa.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss also hailed Newcastle as a “really fantastic team” who are contenders to win this season’s FA Cup.
An optimistic Emery even added that some things that transpired in the defeat can help Villa go forward in the Premier League and the Europa League.
However, the Spaniard did admit it was a sore one for Buendia, who was replaced by Ross Barkley in the second half. But it doesn’t seem like the playmaker will be out for a long time.
He said, “He [Buendia] got a kick, but I didn’t check with him about it. I think this kick was hard for him, but that he will be okay.”
Aston Villa’s worrying injury list
Despite a wretched start to the season, Villa are still outside contenders to win the Premier League.
Emery’s side sit seven points behind league leaders Arsenal in third, and even if they don’t win the title, they are in a strong position to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
And they are doing this without a raft of key first-team players. For instance, midfielder Boubacar Kamara could be out for the season with a knee injury.
| Aston Villa injuries | Potential return |
| Boubacar Kamara (knee) | Next season |
| Youri Tielemans (ankle) | Mid-April |
| John McGinn (knee) | Early April |
| Matty Cash (knee) | Late February |
| Andres Garcia (thigh) | Late February |
Moreover, captain John McGinn has been out for nearly a month now due to a knee injury he sustained in the 1-0 defeat to Everton.
Emery will also not be able to call on influential midfielder Youri Tielemans for the coming weeks due to an ankle problem, and defenders Matty Cash and Andres Garcia are also sidelined.
If Villa want to maintain their quest for silverware, they will need their injured players back and fast.
For the latest on Aston Villa, visit Football Insider for more in-depth analysis and stories.