Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has provided a crucial injury update on striker Ollie Watkins following his early withdrawal from the match against RB Salzburg. Watkins was forced off in the 35th minute after experiencing discomfort in his hamstring and was replaced by Morgan Rogers.
The incident came shortly after RB Salzburg took the lead at Villa Park through Karim Konaté. Despite Salzburg doubling their advantage with a goal from Moussa Yeo, Aston Villa fought back with a goal from Rogers and an equalizer by Tyrone Mings. The match culminated in a dramatic winner by youngster Jamal Jimoh-Aloba, assisted by Kadan Young, securing a memorable victory in front of the Holte End.
After the game, Emery addressed Watkins’ condition ahead of Aston Villa’s upcoming Premier League clash against Brentford at Villa Park. “He felt something, but not a lot," Emery stated. “We will test him. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious. I don’t know if he will be available for Sunday."
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The timing is particularly concerning for Villa, who are already battling multiple injury setbacks. Boubacar Kamara has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, John McGinn is sidelined for six weeks, and Youri Tielemans is expected to miss eight weeks. With these challenges, Tammy Abraham is poised to lead Villa’s attack for the first time since rejoining the club in an £18 million transfer from Besiktas earlier this week.