Unai Emery's men will be hoping to return to winning ways on Wednesday night when Aston Villa take on top four rivals Chelsea at Villa Park
John McGinn
John McGinn won't be back in time for Aston Villa's game against Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
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Aston Villa's Premier League encounter with Chelsea could see 11 players unavailable due to injuries and suspension, leaving Unai Emery and Liam Rosenior without crucial squad members.
The showdown at Villa Park could prove pivotal for both sides' aspirations of qualifying for Champions League football this season. Villa currently sit in fourth place, despite claiming victory in just one of their previous five matches, whilst the Blues trail Liverpool by three points outside the top five.
Arne Slot's side endured a surprising defeat at Wolves on Tuesday evening, meaning a win for either side would significantly bolster their hopes of sealing a spot in the Champions League. However, both side's are missing players due to injury.
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Villa travel to London carrying their own injury concerns, though their list of absentees is somewhat shorter than in recent weeks. John McGinn is the nearest to fitness, although tonight's match is expected to come too early for him, after missing the last nine games in all competitions.
“I’ve been trying to stay under the radar a bit, trying to get back fit as quickly as possible," he said last week. "The recovery is going well, surgery was pretty straightforward and it’s been good.
“I got my head around it quick. I’ve been fortunate in my career to not have many serious injuries so this one was easier to accept. It’s been tough to watch but I’m feeling ready to get back in and in good shape for that.
“I’m well on my way and hopefully be back before then (eight weeks), maybe another two or three weeks.”
Youri Tielemans, who picked up an injury in January, is not due back until April, with Andres Garcia also set to return next month. Boubacar Kamara has been sidelined since January and is not expected to feature again until next season.
Youri Tielemans
Youri Tielemans is currently injured for Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott has found regular minutes hard to come by at Villa Park, though Emery clarified towards the end of the month that his recent absence is down to injury.
Pedro Neto will miss the fixture through suspension after collecting Chelsea's 10th red card of the campaign across all competitions following two yellow cards in the loss to Arsenal.
Team-mate Estevao Willian remains doubtful after sustaining a hamstring problem before the 1-1 stalemate against Burnley. "Unfortunately, Estevao will be out for a little bit longer," Rosenior said before the Arsenal game.
Encouragingly, the Brazilian is "back on the pitch running" and could make his return before the end of March. Marc Cucurella is a potential option for tonight's fixture after being absent since the 2-2 draw against Leeds last month.
Dario Essugo is yet to make his mark at Chelsea following his move from Sporting CP, though he has returned to training. A training ground knock towards the end of last year led to surgery on a thigh injury, keeping him on the sidelines.
Jamie Gittens has been ruled out for the foreseeable future by Rosenior after suffering a hamstring tear during the 3-2 victory over West Ham at the end of January. Levi Colwill is also in the treatment room, having sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his knee during pre-season.