Aston Villa don suffer one injury blow as dem lose 2-1 to Spanish side Elche for one friendly match wey dem play for Pinatar Arena on Friday morning. The main concern na England winger Jadon Sancho wey come off the pitch with shoulder injury and later dey seen with arm for sling.
The match wey be part of Villa’s warm-weather training camp for Spain during international break turn sour when Sancho land awkwardly for shoulder after challenge with Elche midfielder Gonzalo Villar roughly five minutes before half-time. Medical staff quickly rush enter pitch to assess the 26-year-old player wey dey show clear signs of pain.
Although Sancho try to continue at first, Villa manager Unai Emery quickly replace am with Ollie Watkins. The winger later leave the field with makeshift sling for arm, raising fresh concerns about possible extended period for sidelines. Villa medical team go conduct further tests to determine the severity of the injury.
The timing of this setback dey particularly bad for Sancho wey just miss out on latest England squad selection. The player dey spend this season on loan at Villa from Manchester United as e try to rebuild career after difficult period for Old Trafford.
For the match itself, Villa start well with Pau Torres scoring from Douglas Luiz corner kick midway through first half. But Elche equalize through Federico Redondo just before half-time, and Álvaro Rodríguez score winning goal with last kick of the game to give the Spanish side victory.
Villa manager Unai Emery name strong starting lineup for the friendly despite the match no be competitive one. Tammy Abraham lead the attack while Douglas Luiz partner Ross Barkley for midfield. Harvey Elliott wey dey on loan from Liverpool also feature and show good performance during early stages of the match.
Emery express disappointment about the injury to Sancho, noting say the main objective for such friendlies na to avoid injury scares. “The truth be say you no really learn much from these kind games,” Emery talk. “The only objective na to come through without any injury worries. We no achieve that objective today.”
The injury concern come as Villa dey battle for Champions League spot for Premier League. The team travel to Spain for three-day training camp to maintain sharpness ahead of crucial run of fixtures wey remain for season.
Sancho’s loan campaign with Villa don be mixed so far. The winger make 19 appearances for Premier League this season but struggle to establish himself as regular starter. E contribute two assists for league action and frequently come from bench as impact substitute. E only goal for Villa come against Fenerbahce for European competition earlier for season.
The longer-term future of Sancho still dey uncertain. E contract with Manchester United set to expire at end of season, and although the club get option to extend by one more year, current indications suggest dem go allow am leave on free transfer. Villa don been linked with possibility of signing am permanently if e performances improve.
Meanwhile, return to Borussia Dortmund also dey mentioned as potential option for the winger, but such move fit depend on Sancho lowering current salary expectations. For now, Villa immediate concern na the condition of e shoulder, with further medical tests expected to clarify whether the injury go rule am out of upcoming fixtures.
Another moment of concern come during second half when Emi Buendia go down clutching shoulder, but the Argentine midfielder eventually get back to feet and continue playing. Villa manage avoid double injury disaster wey for don make the friendly even more costly.
The match also provide opportunity for some young Villa prospects to gain experience with senior players. Although players like TJ Carroll only enter pitch for last few minutes, being around first-team environment dey valuable for their development.
For Elche, the victory come as positive result for team wey currently dey 17th position for La Liga. The Spanish side show good resilience to come from behind and secure win against Premier League opposition.
Villa now go return to England with injury concern hanging over Sancho as dem prepare for important Premier League matches wey remain for season. The team medical staff go work to assess the extent of the shoulder problem and determine recovery timeline for the winger.
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