Unai Emery is dealing with the greatest injury crisis of his career as he attempts to fix Aston Villa’s recent slump while missing several important players.
This season, Villa has lost Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings, and Boubacar Kamara to anterior cruciate knee ligament (ACL) injuries, while Jacob Ramsey, Alex Moreno, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Jhon Duran, and now Diego Carlos have all been sidelined.
Kamara was injured in last weekend’s home defeat by Manchester United and will have surgery in Lyon, France, next week.
Emery did not use the casualty list as an excuse, but he confessed it was unique in his 20-year coaching career.
‘I can never recall a period like this,’ he stated. ‘This is not an excuse. I normally take injuries, but this is the worst. We are human, and of course we will assist the athletes, especially those with ACL problems.’This is the toughest time for them and their families. Every day, we are fortunate to meet Tyrone, Emiliano, and now Kamara. They are not available, but the message is consistent: they will return stronger than before.
‘I’ve never been in this scenario before as a coach. I know Real Madrid has been in the similar predicament (with David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Thibaut Courtois) about ACL injuries.But we have to accept it and keep on. We stay positive, work hard, and strive to assist the guys who will have opportunities.
‘There may be activities you can do to prevent certain sorts of injuries, such as hamstrings, but knee problems are not the same. However, these are not the result of our labor. Tyrone was wounded in Newcastle, Emiliano here at the training field, and Kamara at Villa Park.
‘I had this injury when I was 20, and it had a negative impact on my career, so I understand. There are hazards connected with football.
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