(Credit: Imago)

Daniel Davis

Thu 9 April 2026 8:10, UK

Aston Villa have successfully reignited their Champions League charge in the absence of Boubacar Kamara, but they remain a far better team with him in midfield.

Unai Emery has been without Kamara since early January, when he suffered a knee injury that cruelly derailed his campaign during the FA Cup victory against Tottenham.

Up to that match, the 26-year-old had been enjoying his best season in Villa colours, scoring one goal and registering four assists in his 26 appearances across all competitions.

Kamara was expected to be ruled out until June, but after he posted a promising update on social media, supporters will hope he can play a role during the run-in.

Villa hold a six-point advantage in the race for the Champions League, and welcoming the midfielder back sooner than anticipated would be a significant boost.

What does Boubacar Kamara bring to Aston Villa?

Kamara is arguably Emery’s most important player, and it is absolutely no coincidence that his lengthy injury lay-off resulted in an alarming drop-off in form.

Indeed, Villa were undefeated in 14 matches before his setback, but after he was ruled out for several months, the Midlands side began to slide down the standings.

Some supporters may argue that his absence prevented the club from sustaining their unlikely title push, but either way, his impressive impact can easily be measured.

Kamara has been awarded a glittering Sofascore 7.12 rating for the campaign to date, placing him highly in comparison to the rest of Villa’s squad.

There are numerous reasons why.

The former Marseille stalwart has made 18 outings in the Premier League this term, boasting four goal contributions to his name. He also has a pass completion of 88 per cent.

He has been heroic defensively, too, making an average of 2.1 tackles and 3.6 ball recoveries per game. In addition, he has been successful in 57 per cent of his total top-flight duels.

While Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley have performed admirably in Emery’s engine room, none of them have been able to live up to Kamara’s example.

Villa badly need Kamara back-up

It is an understatement to suggest that Emery relies totally on Kamara.

In possession, he is crucial at helping Villa bring out the ball from deep, while he is also known to drop deep, allowing the full-backs to take up positions high and wide.

Kamara is also adept at threading balls through the eye of a needle and, by and large, has wriggled out of trouble after being put under pressure by his opponents in midfield.

Emery has just about found ways to negate his absence, but he will secretly be praying for his lieutenant to return soon, especially with Villa on the cusp of a Champions League return.

In the long-term, however, the club must confront an awkward reality: that they are a worse team and less effective tactically when Kamara is missing.

The only real solutions are to clone him (which is, of course, simply not possible) or to carefully scout a dynamic back-up equipped with many of the same qualities.