Aston Villa have suffered a devastating injury blow ahead of Saturday’s trip to St James’ Park, confirming that Emi Buendia has suffered a ‘significant knee ligament injury.’
The Argentine was one of their standout players during pre-season and shone in the Premier League Summer Series, causing havoc in the first half of their 3-3 draw with Newcastle over in the States.
However, a statement from Aston Villa reveals that he suffered significant damage to his knee (thought to be an ACL) during a training session on Wednesday. As a result, he’s been ruled out of Saturday’s game and looks set for a considerable spell on the sidelines.
This may explain why the Villains have been heavily linked with a move for Nicolo Zaniolo this morning. The Turkish media had backed Newcastle to make a move for the Galatasaray attacker just yesterday, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Unai Emery’s side are ‘working on a deal’ to sign the 24-year-old in light of this injury.
