Onana, Cash & Torres: Latest Aston Villa injury news and return dates ahead of Club Brugge clash

Having successfully navigated their way through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, Aston Villa now turn their attention to extending their Champions League adventure when they travel to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the first leg of their last 16 tie – but Unai Emery may be forced to make do without several first-team players.

While there was good news over the weekend thanks to the immediate return of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from an injury he sustained against Crystal Palace last Tuesday, the likes of Amadou Onana, Pau Torres and Matty Cash remained on the sidelines thanks to recent fitness issues of their own.

We’ve got all the latest updates on Villa’s potential absentees below along with their expected return dates when available.

Onana ‘close’ but midfield issues remain

Prior to the 2-0 win over Championship outfit Cardiff City which teed up a trip to Preston North End in the last eight of the FA Cup, Emery told the media that defensive midfielders Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara were both “close” to a return despite initial reports that both would be out for up to two more weeks thanks to hamstring injuries.

Onana hasn’t featured since the defeat to Wolves at the beginning of February, while Kamara picked up his issue during the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town a fortnight ago. The Frenchman was back on the bench against Cardiff, at least, although he didn’t get onto the pitch, while Onana remains absent. It is unclear whether he will feature on Tuesday evening but is back in training, at least.

Meanwhile, Ross Barkley’s persistent calf injury still hasn’t cleared up and he is not expected to be ready to play against Club Brugge. The former Everton midfielder was last seen in mid-January in the win over West Ham United. With three players unlikely to be fit to start or play at all, Emery will once again choose between John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Jacob Ramsey in midfield.

Mings join Cash and Torres in treatment room as Malen misses out

The defence is another potential problem area for Villa, with Tyrone Mings once again absent for the Cardiff match as another knee injury kept him on the sidelines. Details of Mings’ prognosis have been kept under wraps with Emery declining to provide a timetable for his return, but the issue is not believed to be serious.

Pau Torres, meanwhile, is back in training following a broken metatarsal which has kept him on the sidelines for the last two months, but he was not in the squad for the Cardiff game and it is doubtful that he will be ready to play against Club Brugge. A place on the bench is possible, at least.

The other question mark in defence hangs over the head of right-back Matty Cash. Emery had hinted that he might be able to face Cardiff after picking up an unspecified knock in the 2-1 win over Chelsea but he missed out on the match day squad, and he remains a doubt for the trip over the Channel.

Cash’s deputy, Andrés Garcia, will definitely not be available for Tuesday’s game – and neither will winger Donyell Malen. Both were left out of the Champions League squad as Villa were only permitted to register three of their January signings due to UEFA rules, a situation that Emery has described as “unfair”. Marcus Rashford, Axel Disasi and Marco Asensio were added to the continental squad, and neither Garcia nor Malen will be able to play in any of Villa’s European fixtures for the rest of the season.