Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Thu 2 April 2026 17:10, UK

Jadon Sancho has been dealt a frustrating setback after picking up an injury just as he was beginning to find his feet at Aston Villa.

The winger is set to miss at least two to three weeks of action with a shoulder issue, ruling him out of key fixtures including Villa’s Europa League quarter-final ties with Bologna.

It comes as a blow not only to Unai Emery, but to Sancho himself, who had begun to show signs of life after a difficult few years in English football.

Since arriving on loan from Manchester United, the 26-year-old has slowly grown into his role in B6, with performances steadily improving over the course of the season.

With the business end of the season underway, the timing of the setback could not be worse for the Villans either.

Jadon Sancho was building momentum for Aston Villa

After a slow start to life at Villa Park, Sancho had started to show glimpses of the player that once lit up the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.

Sancho arrived in England in 2021, joining Manchester United, where he failed to produce anything close to the expectations, with Villa now his third club joined on loan since.

While his output at Villa does not immediately stand out, the underlying data paints a far cleaner picture of his influence.

With 33.71 successful passes per 90, 1.54 successful dribbles, 2.48 chances created and 55.35 touches, the English winger has began to find form under Emery.

Jeremy Doku tops the dribbling stats in the Premier League, with 4.6 per 90, though what this does is indicate the type of player Sancho is.

He has never quite been an all-action dribbler as a player; instead, he thrives when able to stand up a defender and cause havoc with his creative instincts. 

The difference made by Emery is the confidence instilled in him to do exactly that.

Injury woes could impact both Aston Villa’s season and Sancho’s future

With Emery’s side pushing for success both domestically and in Europe, Sancho’s absence comes at a crucial point in the campaign.

The Europa League is a huge opportunity to give the B6 fans some silverware, while their strong league position has them firmly in the race for Champions League football – a requirement for the club after missing out this time around.

Missing key fixtures halts Sancho’s momentum at a time when he had finally began to find some stability, with his long-term future in the air.

Borussia Dortmund have been touted once again when it comes to holding interest in Sancho, and given his previous exploits with Die Schwarzgelben, it would not see a surprise to see him at the Westfalenstadion once again.

Though, it would be a shame for his time at Villa to come to a premature end like this, especially given the recent stability that he had found.

Just as Youri Tielemans and John McGinn return, Emery loses another member of his squad.

From here to the season’s end, the Spaniard will likely be pulling his hair out wondering when he is going to see a fully fit side again.