Villa’s Buendia suffers major knee injury

Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia has suffered a “significant knee ligament injury” that could rule him out for up to eight months, the Premier League club announced Thursday.

The 26-year-old Argentina international, who sustained the injury during training on Wednesday, has undergone a scan and is set to see a knee specialist.

“Aston Villa can confirm Emi Buendia has suffered a significant knee ligament injury,” said a club statement.

Buendia has scored nine goals in 73 Premier League appearances for Villa since joining from Norwich in 2021 for a reported £33 million ($42 million, 38 million euros).

Villa manager Unai Emery, whose side begin the new season at Newcastle on Saturday and will play in the Europa Conference League this term, made no secret of how much of a setback Buendia’s injury was for his side.

“The worst (injury) in football; for the player, for the club, for us, for his team-mates,” Villa boss Emery told a pre-match press conference.

“We are not speaking about being injured for one month, two weeks, two months, including three months. This injury — six, seven, eight months.

“It is a tough moment for him and yesterday we were really in shame after the news we received.

“We will have to be patient with him, support him and try to recover as soon as possible.

“Of course, now, we want to win for him on Saturday at Newcastle.”

Emery added Villa will also be missing Jacob Ramsey, Alex Moreno, Leander Dendoncker, Bertrand Traore, Tim Iroegbunam and Colombia forward Jhon Duran for the trip to St James’ Park.

“We are ready with the players we are working (with) and very happy with the pre-season,” Emery said. “And, of course, after the bad news yesterday (with Buendia), we have to adapt quickly again.”