(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 1 May 2026 8:15, UK

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Amadou Onana could be facing another spell on the treatment table at Aston Villa after he limped off during their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Thursday night.

The midfielder was a doubt ahead of the Europa League semi-final first leg at the City Ground, after missing last weekend’s trip to Fulham with a knee problem.

However, the Belgian passed a late fitness test and was deemed fit to start against Forest, only for that decision to quickly backfire when he was forced off in the 55th minute.

Villa went on to lose the game thanks to Chris Wood’s 71st-minute penalty, meaning they have plenty of work to do to turn the tie on its head at Villa Park next week.

Villa’s injury list already has fellow midfielder Boubacar Kamara out until the end of the season, and now Onana could be joining his counterpart in the treatment room.

Unai Emery plays cards close to his chest on Amadou Onana

Onana has been a key player for Villa once again this season, as he has already made 35 appearances across all competitions heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

However, consistent hamstring and muscle issues have prevented him from playing an even bigger role for the second city outfit, and he could now be out of next week’s crucial second leg.

Unai Emery played his cards close to his chest regarding the 24-year-old’s injury in his post-match interview, but he was clear with his early diagnosis that Onana’s latest issue is a calf injury.

“The first half he (Onana) was telling us he was feeling something in his calf,” the Spanish boss said, according to John Townley.

“I don’t know how he is going to recover. Hopefully in a few days he can recover. We must be careful and we will see how he progresses.”

The boss was keen to avoid committing to any sort of timeframe regarding a potential recovery for Onana, while he also avoided disclosing too much regarding the likely severity of the issue.

He is clearly hoping to play his cards close to his chest ahead of the all-important second leg, while heavy rotation against Tottenham this weekend may have been a possibility regardless.

Emery adamant Aston Villa should have had man advantage

Emery exploded with rage after the game, as he demanded an explanation from referee Joao Pinheiro as to why Elliot Anderson wasn’t shown a red card for a challenge on Ollie Watkins in the first half.

The England international lunged in high on the frontman and appeared to plant his studs into Watkins’ ankle, but the man in the middle was unmoved, while the VAR team also opted against a red card.

Emery was left baffled by that outcome, as he labelled the decision a “huge mistake” in his press conference and suggested that “there was no doubt” about what the call should have been.

He clearly felt that a dismissal for Anderson would have changed the complexion of the game, as his team would have had almost an hour to exploit their numerical advantage.

Instead, he has been left to bemoan the decision in the aftermath of the game, with his side facing an uphill battle in the decisive second leg.