Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been handed a double injury boost this week ahead of our clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
Villa return to European action on Thursday night as we look to bounce back after defeat to Go Ahead Eagles last time out, and with a hectic fixture schedule ahead, Emery would have been hoping for positive news on the injury front to move back towards having as close to a fully-fit squad as possible.
Fortunately, as per the club’s post below, it looks as though Youri Tielemans is closing in on a return to action, as he resumed group training this week in a key step towards being available once again.
The Belgian international has been a big miss for us during his spell on the sidelines with a calf problem in recent weeks, and so to have his influence in midfield back will be a huge boost for all concerned to bolster that area of the squad alongside Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana in particular.
Want more Villa news? Subscribe to Talk Villa+ below for ad-free weekly newsletters, exclusive articles and much more sent directly to you. The TalkVilla podcast is also now available, have a listen, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or YouTube. UTV!
It remains to be seen if he’s fit enough to make the matchday squad in midweek as Villa won’t want to rush him back now either, and if Emery opts to leave him out, time will tell if the Bournemouth game in the Premier League on Sunday comes too soon for him too ahead of the international break.
Meanwhile, there was more good news in training on Wednesday, as Emiliano Buendia was also spotted working with the rest of the group, and that’s certainly a step in the right direction for him after he limped off in the early stages of our win over Manchester City last month with an ankle injury.
Similarly to Tielemans, it remains to be seen if the Argentine playmaker is deemed healthy enough to feature against Maccabi Tel Aviv or if Emery will opt not to risk rushing him back, but after suffering the blow of losing Tyrone Mings for at least seven weeks with a hamstring injury earlier in the week, it’s good to receive some positive news to soften that setback.
Both Tielemans and Buendia have been influential for Emery so far this season, with the former being a stand-out performer last year too, and so it will be a relief to have them available again heading into the festive period.
Youri, Lucas and Bouba 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xZc9HXleTv
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 5, 2025