Aston Villa suffered defeat at Nottingham Forest with a star player set to miss the Europa League
Aston Villa will be without a key player for their Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
Villa are set for a crucial European night as Forest grab the advantage
Villa’s season comes to a screeching halt tonight.
One goal separates them from Forest going into the Europa League semi-final second leg at Villa Park, and Unai Emery’s side must overturn the deficit to keep alive their hopes of a first European final since 1982.
Chris Wood’s penalty just after the hour at the City Ground gave Forest a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, a narrow but vital lead that means Villa must score while keeping a clean sheet to force extra-time, or win by two or more to go through on aggregate.
Forest, whose impressive run under Vitor Pereira has lifted them from relegation to the European semi-finals, arrived at Villa Park needing only a draw to book their place in Istanbul on May 21.
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The Sky expert says that rivals will not be able to cope with them.
It’s a sad request for Villa, made all the more difficult by the confirmed absence of Amadou Onana.
Aston Villa without Amadou Onana for the Nottingham Forest game
The Belgian suffered an injury in the first leg and has not trained since, with Emery confirming on Wednesday that the defender “will not” be available for Thursday’s game.
A timeline for his return has not been given, with Emery missing out on an ‘outstanding’ and ‘underperforming’ midfielder.
It is a separate problem to the muscle issue that kept him out of the game against Fulham earlier this month, including concerns about the 24-year-old’s fitness.
Villa have endured a tough run in recent weeks.
Three defeats in their last three games in all competitions have sapped confidence, and Emery admitted in his pre-match press conference that injury-enforced changes and fatigue had disrupted the team’s rhythm.
There is at least one boost.
John McGinn, who sat out Sunday’s loss to Tottenham with a strained hamstring, is expected to return.
The captain’s leadership and energy will be crucial if Villa are to generate the momentum needed to turn the tie around.
The midfield image without Onana, however, remains a concern.
Ross Barkley is ineligible as he was not included in Villa’s UEFA squad, while Boubacar Kamara remains sidelined. That leaves Lamare Bogarde and Douglas Luiz as available options, neither of whom have been consistent in recent weeks.
Emery is measured in his assessment of the challenge ahead.
“Nottingham Forest are the best and they are the best in the game,” he said.
“Getting to the semi-finals is a big task. Winning the cup is very difficult. It’s not defeat if we don’t win the cup.”
Ollie Watkins leads Villa’s Europa League campaign with four goals this season, while Morgan Rogers has been directly involved in five goals from six home games in the competition – a record that underlines just how important the Villa Park atmosphere and home advantage can be to Emery’s side.
Forest star Igor Jesus, meanwhile, has been involved in five away goals in the competition and leads the shots and shots on target contest – a reminder of the danger Forest play even away from the City Ground.
For Villa, this is not just a game. It’s an opportunity to write something historic.
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