Aston Villa Round-Up, Tuesday 20th October: Emery Delivers Injury Triple Blow as Buendia Set for New Deal Ahead of Viking Clash
Aston Villa are preparing to face Viking FK in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Sports Mole has all the details fans need on how to watch the clash, including kick-off time and TV coverage (Sports Mole).
Unai Emery held his pre-match press conference and gave a full rundown on the club's injury situation. The Villa boss confirmed blows involving Johan Manzambi, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Matteo Ruggeri, though he also offered some positive news among the setbacks (Sports Mole) (Birmingham Live) (Birmingham Live). Birmingham Live report that Villa have actually been handed a double injury boost ahead of the Viking game, giving Emery some much-needed options despite the fresh fitness concerns (Birmingham Live). Emery also provided a timeline for Wan-Bissaka's expected return, giving supporters something to look forward to (Birmingham Live). Separately, Birmingham Live note that an injury boost could also open up Villa's wider Champions League prospects following the summer's transfer business (Birmingham Live).
As a direct result of Ruggeri's injury, Aston Villa have made a change to their UEFA List A squad for the Champions League, bringing in a replacement to cover his absence (Birmingham Live).
On the contract front, TeamTalk report that Villa are moving to tie down Emiliano Buendia to a new long-term deal, a player who has become a firm favourite under Emery. The report adds that the move effectively ends any suggestion of a switch to Leeds (TeamTalk). Emery also addressed the Buendia contract talk directly when speaking to the press (Birmingham Live).
Elsewhere in midfield news, Boubacar Kamara has spoken about his recovery from a serious knee injury, saying he now feels back up to speed. He also touched on the summer's transfer activity and the changes taking place at the club (Birmingham Live).
Looking back to the weekend's Premier League action, referees' chief Howard Webb has defended the decision not to intervene via VAR when Newcastle's Sven Botman was booked for a challenge on Villa striker Nicolas Jackson, insisting the officials got the call right (ESPN).
Away from team matters, BBC Sport's Amy Finley has written a piece examining whether the ongoing stadium rebuild at Villa Park could be having an impact on the first team's form and performances (BBC Sport).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.