Midfield duo to miss Aston Villa’s opening Champions League clash

Johan Manzambi will miss Aston Villa’s Champions League opener against Club Brugge as he continues his recovery from injury.

Villa boss Unai Emery confirmed the midfielder is progressing well but will not be ready to feature in Belgium, while Leon Goretzka is also sidelined until after the international break with a knee injury.

There is better news for Villa in midfield, however, with João Gomes available again after serving a suspension in the Premier League.

“The injured players, for me, are something normal,” Emery said.

“Every player is the same, and when we are closing the squad with two players for each position, with some young players trying to use their potential more and more, like George, performing very well.

“Other players can have some injuries and we must be ready to replace them. We have João Gomes available after his suspension in the Premier League.

“Goretzka’s injury and his issue is a little bit frustrating, but we have players to replace him, like Ross Barkley, like João Gomes, Lamare Bogarde and Kamara.”