Aston Villa

AC Milan and England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 29, is a target for Aston Villa, who are looking to bolster their midfield ranks after France international Boubacar Kamara, 26, sustained a serious knee injury. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Villa have enquired about Fenerbahce striker Youssef En-Nesyri in the past 24 hours, and the 28-year-old Morocco forward will decide his future soon with Napoli and Juventus also interested. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Fenerbahce at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium (kick-off 17:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "Emi Martinez is not (available), Kamara is not, John McGinn is not, Alysson is not, Barkley is not."

• Emery confirmed that they are "still waiting" on McGinn's injury updates as he is "still visiting some doctors to have a decision on what to do" and he is potentially out for "some weeks".

• On facing Marco Asensio and Jhon Duran: "Of course, we know them and they are fantastic players. Asensio, with his career being amazing, and a lot of experiences and of course with us, he performed very well last year. And this is one example. Fenerbahce, they can have players like that. And Jhon Duran, we saw him last year performing very well with us, to Saudi and then Fenerbahçe signed him. And of course, tomorrow we will play against them, and we respect them a lot and of course, to stop them is not easy. Every player they are very dangerous."

• Emery stressed the importance of the match by saying that "they have 11 points, for them it's very important, the match. For us, we are in the advantage to get top eight, but in case they will win tomorrow, against us, they can have as well, possibilities to be in (the) top eight".

• On Fenerbahce: "It's a very difficult match, and they have (a) very good team, historic team, experienced team. They have very good players. They have (a) fantastic atmosphere here with their supporters, very passionate supporters. We respect them a lot."

Read more about John McGinn's injury here

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BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor has been catching up with Aston Villa fans in Istanbul before Thursday's Europa League fixture against Fenerbahce.

Villa fan James explained he thinks some "excessive" rules have been put in place with regard to how supporters can attend the game, with mandatory bus transport taking place by 15:00 locally, when the fixture will not kick-off until 20:45 in Istanbul.

In theory, fans will be in the ground hours before Villa's players warm up, let alone kick off.

Fans have been told items such as coins, battery power banks and portable chargers, cameras, vapes and lighters will probably be confiscated on entering the stadium.

Supporter James said he thinks the list of rules and timings is "excessive" and is curious about how fans will entertain themselves when in the ground so early, with an inability to charge phones being an issue.

"I've been to all of them since getting into Europe a couple of years ago for the Conference League," he told BBC Radio WM. "I thought it would be one season, then we got Champions League. It's become a routine now.

"We looked really tired against Everton. I think Emery will prioritise the Newcastle game, which I think he should. We are more or less there in this tournament so even if we lose it's not the end of the world. I don't think he'll pick a strong team. I'll go draw 1-1."

Supporter Callum added: "I've only missed four or five since we qualified for the Conference League. I've always gone to the usual places for holiday but places like Istanbul, Bosnia, it's places I wouldn't have thought to go. I go and really like them."

Access pre-match discussion from 1730 BST and full commentary on BBC Radio WM (not available online)

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Roma have announced that forward Leon Bailey is returning to Aston Villa by "mutual agreement" after spending the first half of the season on loan in Italy.

The 28-year-old made 11 appearances for the Serie A side.

Aston Villa have expressed their interest in signing 28-year-old Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with the Eagles exploring a move for Villa forward Evann Guessand. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Villa are also stepping up their efforts to sign Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is on loan at Besiktas, with club officials watching the 28-year-old England international play in Istanbul on Monday. (Sky Sports), external

Meanwhile, Leon Bailey's loan spell at Roma has been cut short and the winger has returned to Aston Villa. (Sky Sports - in Italian), external

Finally, Inter Milan are considering moving for Emiliano Martinez but the Villa goalkeeper would have to accept a wage cut to sign next summer. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Aston Villa's financial restraints in the January transfer window have been the subject of several questions sent in via our 'Ask about Aston Villa' form.

BBC Sport's football reporter Nick Mashiter addressed these talking points in a wider piece for the website and we have pulled out the most relevant sections:

Financial restrictions have already impacted Aston Villa's January business. The club missed out on signing Conor Gallagher, who joined Tottenham.

Forward Donyell Malen, Villa's second top scorer this season, has been sold, while squad depth and growing injury worries have added to Emery's problems.

So does Villa's season hinge on the final two weeks of the transfer window?

It is the balancing act Emery has to get right while Villa walk the financial tightrope, which has harmed them in more ways than one.

Gallagher would have at least eased a growing midfield injury crisis, with Emery losing John McGinn on Sunday while he was already sweating on Boubacar Kamara's fitness and Amadou Onana already out.

There are also no plans for Leon Bailey to return from his loan at Roma, despite his struggles.

This month Villa have signed Gremio winger Alysson and 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo from Metz - both with a view to the future.

Villa tried to change the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in 2024 but failed to get the loss limit raised from £105m to £135m over three years after the proposal was rejected at the Premier League's AGM.

Co-owner Nassef Sawiris previously said the rules "do not make sense" because they cement the bigger clubs' powers. To comply, Villa had to sell, and Jacob Ramsey went to Newcastle for £40m in the summer, the academy graduate banking pure profit for Villa.

Yet Villa had been sanctioned by Uefa in July, along with Chelsea, and fined £9.5m for breaching financial rules.

With Villa eight points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United in the Premier League, a return to the Champions League next season is increasingly likely, which would almost end their financial concerns, according to finance expert Kieran Maguire.

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Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

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Since the end of December, Aston Villa have accumulated a number of significant injuries. It started with Amadou Onana, followed by Boubacar Kamara, and rounded off by a rare issue with John McGinn. Combined with the absence of Ross Barkley, the Villa midfield that has been integral to the team's success is now looking painfully thin.

The relentless winter fixture list may have added fuel to the injury fire, but the weak bench against Everton on Sunday is also a sign of lacklustre transfer activity. At a time when they have been juggling player fitness, Villa decided to offload Donyell Malen to Roma last week.

Clearly another unfortunate side effect of Villa's financial predicament, Malen's departure feels deflating after he proved himself to be a valuable asset to Villa's frontline. The Dutchman's exit felt more frustrating following Sunday's defeat, with Emery left with minimal options to change the game from the bench and the team desperate for an attacking spark.

Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott remains on the books, despite it being clear that he is not in Emery's plans. Fellow loanee Jadon Sancho's impact has been minimal, and Evan Guessand has been underwhelming since his arrival in the summer.

So, is Villa's squad in a crisis?

With minimal room for recruitment this window, and the core of the midfield ripped apart, it may be time for worry. The next few weeks feel significant, with the potential to secure a Europa League round of 16 spot, and a run of favourable fixtures ahead to cement a top-four position.

Emery may have lost his ability to rotate the team with so few options - a brutal reality in a crucial period. It feels as though consistency in the second half of the season hinges on the recovery of Villa's midfield and the hope that the club will be able to recruit this month.

Find more from Hannah Gowen at UTV, external

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We asked for your views on how concerning the knee injury John McGinn sustained in Sunday's defeat by Everton is for Villa and what impact it could have on the club's January transfer plans.

Here are some of your comments:

Prit: Our midfield of Kamara, Onana, McGinn and Tielemans is the real powerhouse of Aston Villa and they dictate the tempo of play. We can maybe get away with losing one, possibly two but certainly not three.

Unai has worked wonders with the squad, but there is no doubt we are hamstrung by the dictatorial constraints of PSR to not build a squad. We could not get Conor Gallagher over the line; inexplicably we sold Malan (without a replacement) because of PSR and we lost to Everton because there was no replacement for the ineffective Watkins.

Unai and Aston Villa have to box clever. We need to hope and pray that we can soon see the return of Kamara, Onana and McGinn and we need reinforcement up front. If we are so broke, why not bring back Louie Barry, at least that is the cheapest option and you never know, he may well grasp the opportunity of playing as a striker for Aston Villa.

Graham: So surprised Emery let Malen go before getting a replacement in. McGinn and Kamara will be big misses so we need to get a midfielder of quality in AND a striker. Watkins not performing is a worry. Maybe we can intergrate Allyson to support the right side of midfield. Need two or three signings at least to ensure champions league football next season.

Jeremy: Part of this is the fans' fault. Constantly craving big signings. We are on a budget, it isn't fair but that is how it is. We need youngsters from the academy to step in and get some experience. Unai is a great manager but too cautious. If we buy in big signings we just end up with more mediocre players to shift on.

Rob: We're just going to have to hope that McGinn's injury isn't too serious. We know that PSR is limiting our transfer decisions and if there is any money available, we need it to replace Malen first. His season with Villa is definitely over now he's been loaned out, but that's not necessarily true of the players that we have injured, McGinn included.

Phil: I am very confused as to why we sold an excellent centre forward when Watkins is playing poorly, Guessand is useless, and Sancho simply isn't good enough!! Why we're going after Abraham I'll never understand as he is certainly not the answer. I'm sure Unai and the board will sort things out but we are going to struggle big time for now as we have not made any loan or replacement signings

West Ham and Aston Villa midfield target Quinten Timber was left out of the starting line-up for Feyenoord on Sunday. Marseille have already made an offer for the 24-year-old Dutchman's services. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Unai Emery could feel the "squad depth is not there" for Aston Villa after they lost captain John McGinn to injury and fell to a 1-0 defeat by Everton, says former midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Villa had the opportunity to jump above second-placed Manchester City and close the gap on leaders Arsenal to just four points when they welcomed the Toffees to Villa Park on Sunday.

But an early knee injury for McGinn after 18 minutes set the tone for a difficult day for Emery's side, who were already missing fellow midfielders Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley.

"That was tough seeing John McGinn walking off the pitch so early on," Hitzlsperger told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"Overall, Unai Emery was so frustrated. The team were playing well. They had enough chances to win the game, but you have to say credit to David Moyes and his team because they knew exactly how to stop Villa. They knew how to frustrate them. They worked so hard and didn't allow Villa to go through the middle.

"Emery was extremely frustrated and I think he hinted that the squad depth is not there.

"Even though he doesn't want to admit they are still in the title race, part of him probably thinks, 'yes, this is three points wasted'."

How concerning is the injury to McGinn? Will this force Villa's hand now in this window and what areas should they prioritise?

Get in touch with your views here

Listen back on BBC Sounds from 1:54:45

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Alan: The writing was on the wall as soon as John McGinn left the pitch. All the drive went out of the midfield and Villa's squad is now stretched to the limit with a difficult few weeks coming. The season will be defined in that period and we need reinforcements badly.

Rob: A rare bad day at the office. Our passing was messy, our wide players were slow and Emi Martinez had a nightmare. If we hadn't let go of Donyel Malen he would have had a field day with Everton. I really hope we bring in someone that can replace his qualities soon so performances like this don't become a regular occurrence.

David: The loss of McGinn on top of injuries to Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley, plus Jadon Sancho being ill, was too much for our stretched midfield and squad. It's a shame because after our usual slow start we were dominating through McGinn. Subsequent defensive errors and lack of firepower up front sealed our fate.

Trevor: Lacklustre performance, chances missed and Ollie Watkins not given any real service. We made Everton look good. We must show some energy for future matches.

Everton fans

Paul: Fantastic performance. Harrison Armstrong, merlin Rohl and James Garner looked immense. Nathan Patterson is playing well and Jake O'Brien is so solid at the back with James Tarkowski. Hopefully, with players coming back, our home performances can improve. We are inconsistent, which is to be expected with a small squad and lower quality in some positions. Hopefully we can finish some transfer business in the next couple of weeks.

Greg: A really good all-round performance, which we seem to reserve for away games. If we could turn the home form around we could yet sneak into Europe, especially with three or four key players on their way back. O'Brien has to be kept in his natural position because he's a much better player there.

Jack: Really good team effort. I thought Garner was superb and a quality finish from Thierno Barry, who is improving with more game time. Can we please have a similar performance at home next week?

Wayne: Great win on the road. We're missing Iliman Ndiaye Idrissa Gueye - can't wait to have them back. However, the lads battled a very good Villa side. I'm made up for Barry - he's growing in confidence with every game.

Pundits Joe Hart and Ellen White join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Wolves 0-0 Newcastle

• Aston Villa 0-1 Everton

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Match of the Day about their 1-0 defeat by Everton: "We created chances, we didn't score. They had fewer chances than us and scored. They competed fantastically. It's the Premier League.

"We are not a contender to be in the top four like we are now. They have very good players and are strong tactically. They deserved to win. We must analyse the match and keep going."

On John McGinn's injury: "Pity for us but we must accept that players can get injured."

On preparing for Europa League: "Tomorrow rest and on Tuesday we come back in."

On transfer market: "Keep working and thinking how we can improve."

Did you know?

• Aston Villa had 18 shots in this match, their most without scoring in a Premier League game since October 2022 v Chelsea (also 18).

• Morgan Rogers had six of those shots, the most by a Villa player without a goal in the competition since Leon Bailey v Brighton in December 2024 (seven).

Listen to Emery on BBC Sounds

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Aston Villa went into this meeting with Everton on a high and with their sights set on closing the gap on Premier League pace-setters Arsenal to four points.

Instead, they were left with no complaints about a defeat in which Everton showed the greater desire as Emery's side showed none of the qualities that have pushed them towards the top of the table.

Villa may have been unsettled by the early injury to McGinn, but this was a lacklustre performance that lacked drive and urgency.

Rogers threatened on occasions, while Evann Guessand hit the woodwork, but even the normally atmospheric Villa Park seemed resigned to defeat before the end.

And keeper Martinez must take the blame for his flamboyant attempt to make a routine save, pushing the ball out to Barry, who accepted the gift with style.

Emery cut an increasingly agitated figure on the sidelines as his side ran out of ideas in the face of Everton's resilience and threat on the break.

Villa are still in an outstanding position, but this was a rare painful day of disappointment for the manager and his players.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Aston Villa's performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Ollie Watkins starts up front for Aston Villa after Donyell Malen's move to Roma, while Emi Martinez is back in goal for Marco Bizot, who played in the FA Cup win at Tottenham Hotspur.

Youri Tielemans also starts with Boubacar Kamara out after picking up an injury early on at Spurs.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Jonsa, McGinn, Tielemans, Buendia, Watkins, Pau, Maatsen, Bogarde, Rogers

Subs: Bizot, Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Digne, Garcia, Guessand, Hemmings

Jack Grealish returns for Everton at former club Aston Villa after serving a one-match suspension following his sending off for dissent against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He comes in for Tyler Dibling, while Thierno Barry is preferred to Beto as striker in the only other change from the team that went out on penalties to Sunderland in the FA Cup third round.

Everton XI: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, McNeil, Barry, O'Brien, Mykolenko, Grealish, Rohl, Garner, Armstrong

Subs: Travers, King, Beto, Dibling, Coleman, Aznou, Welch, Campbell

Image source, BBC Sport

There are two games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Wolves v Newcastle (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Aston Villa v Everton (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

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It must be such a wonderful time to be an Aston Villa fan - they have been on an incredible run and their one defeat in their past 15 games, at Arsenal at the end of the year, has not affected their confidence.

Villa drew 0-0 at Everton at the start of the season but their form has picked up a lot since then - they have stacks of belief and they have lots of goals in them too.

Everton will have Jack Grealish back from suspension to face his old club, which is a boost for them and him.

David Moyes certainly won't make it easy for Villa but I'm still expecting them to win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa will look to keep their Premier League title aspirations alive on Sunday at Villa Park when they welcome an Everton team that has lost momentum in 2026.

Villa are six points back on league leaders Arsenal and, after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last time out in the top flight, they earned a 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

Everton finished 2025 in eighth and with optimism. However, a wretched week of home games – defeats by Brentford and Sunderland (in the FA Cup) sandwiched a draw with bottom club Wolves – has led to simmering frustrations at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Attacking duo integral to Villa

When these two teams met at Everton in September, Villa looked listless in attack in a 0-0 draw. In the months following, they've been revitalised. Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia have been key to that change.

After a slow start, Rogers has been one of the best attacking players in the division this term. He leads Villa for goals and assists, with eight and six respectively in all competitions.

The England international is yet to score against Everton in three attempts. But for Buendia, the Toffees are among his favourite opposition; the midfielder has a career-best three goals against them in the Premier League.

Buendia's return to form and fitness this season has been vital to Unai Emery's side. His 10 goal involvements – including the dramatic late winner over Arsenal – already match his best total for a season since moving to Villa Park.

The duo have showcased their individual brilliance as part of a well-oiled machine. Villa have been canny throughout the season no matter what the situation, gaining the most points from losing positions and dropping the fewest from winning positions.

Can Grealish inspire Everton?

After three poor results in seven days at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton may not mind getting out on the road.

Under David Moyes, the team won nine away matches in 2025. Only Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace registered more.

Villa have not been a good match-up for Everton since their return to the top flight in 2019 though. The Toffees have not won any of the past 13 meetings in the Premier League.

Emery and his team are formidable at Villa Park too. Villa have won 23 and drawn four of their last 28 matches there; it's the best home record of any team in Europe since the beginning of last year.

Moyes will be looking to former Villa captain Jack Grealish for inspiration, as he'll be without Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Grealish, who joined the Villa academy as a six-year-old and made 213 appearances for the club, is available again after a suspension. He is yet to score in any of his five appearances against his boyhood club for Manchester City and Everton. He has been booked in his last three games against them though.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara's knee injury could be worse than first feared.

Boss Unai Emery has confirmed the 26-year-old is seeing doctors to discover the extent of the problem.

Kamara was forced off early in the FA Cup third round win at Tottenham on Saturday after a challenge with Joao Palhinha. Villa were hoping he would initially be out for three weeks.

"Kamara is out, it is his knee," said Emery before Sunday's visit of Everton. "We are checking him and he is visiting some doctors and we are going to know about him in a few days.

"Of course he's not available and maybe for a long time, hopefully not so so long time but we are checking him."

Kamara previously missed eight months in 2024 after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Manchester United.

He joined on a free transfer from Marseille in 2022 with Villa beating Atletico Madrid to his signature.

The problem adds to Villa's midfield issues with Amadou Onana also struggling with a hamstring injury and out of the game with the Toffees.

Villa wanted to bring Conor Gallagher in but lost out to Tottenham, who signed the England international for £35m from Atletico Madrid earlier this week.

They have also sold forward Donyell Malen to Roma on loan with an obligation for the Serie A club to buy him for around £21m.

Villa have been linked with Roma forward and former loanee Tammy Abraham - who is on loan at Besiktas in Turkey - and Emery confirmed he is in the market for a striker.

He said: "The priority is someone as a central attacking player, a striker, with the characteristics as a striker and to compete with [Ollie] Watkins or maybe even play with him.

"Now Malen has left another player can help us with numbers in the squad."