Why Unai Emery could call on Mohamed Kone after Amadou Onana injury news

Unai Emery could turn to Aston Villa academy star Mohamed Kone due to Amadou Onana's absence.

The Belgian star was injured in his nation's 4-1 World Cup round of 16 win over the United States on Tuesday morning.

He suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, which saw him substituted off in the 21st minute of the contest in Seattle.

Onana earned plaudits away from Villa for his brief showing, but he is set for a long spell on the sidelines.

That could open the door for somebody from the Under-21s to come in and take a squad role.

Kone could be the beneficiary, as his numbers from the last Premier League 2 campaign stand out.

How did Kone perform for Aston Villa academy last season?

Kone was signed from Ivorian side ASEC Mimosa in the summer of 2025, and has already impressed in the youth ranks.

He recorded an 86.5 per cent pass accuracy last season in the PL2, per data from Fotmob.

The 19-year-old created eight chances and completed 64.3 per cent of his dribble attempts for Jimmy Shan's side.

However, it is the defensive side of his game where he truly thrives, as he completed 2.69 tackles, 1.26 interceptions and 4.95 ball recoveries per game.

He also won 62.9 per cent of ground duels and 77.1 per cent of aerial duels last season.

Those numbers are very impressive, and may mean that Emery decides to take a closer look at him.

Is Kone ready to make Premier League bow?

Only time will tell whether Kone is ready to make the step up to the senior level.

However, if he is never handed an opportunity, then Emery will never know.

He would likely not be starting matches, he would be in the squad to make up the numbers, and come on late in matches if other players are tired.

Promoting him to the first-team picture while Onana is out makes sense, as they may not need to enter the market for a replacement and can address other areas.

Whether that is what the Villans decide to do, remains to be seen, but it would be a great idea, and show the rest of the academy that there is a pathway.