Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a suspected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The 24-year-old sustained the injury to his right knee during the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, being replaced in the 65th minute by Moussa Diaby.
Further scans are planned but the France international is now likely to miss the European Championships this summer with a five to six month lay-off the expectation.
Surgery is expected to follow soon after confirmation of the nature of the injury.
Kamara, who joined Villa from Marseille on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, suffered a knee ligament injury in September 2022. The issue saw him miss nine games for club and country.
Kamara’s injury is the third ACL sustained by a Villa player in recent months after Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia both picked up the same injury earlier in the season.
Defender Diego Carlos required surgery after tearing his Achilles during his second game for the club in August 2022.
Kamara’s teammate Ezri Konsa has a knee injury of his own which Unai Emery expects to keep him out for around a month.
“Ezri is injured,” Emery said of the 26-year-old. “He has a knee sprain and he is not going to be available. I don’t know, three or four weeks more or less.”
Aston Villa, who have won just one of their last six games in all competitions, are next in action against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
What Villa will miss
Kamara’s impact is instrumental to Villa. In short, no player can do what he does — he is Unai Emery’s only archetypal defensive midfielder, progressing the ball from deep and crucial in stopping transitions.
Kamara’s absence likely means John McGinn will move deeper and partner Douglas Luiz in a central midfield pivot, with neither as defensively minded as the France international.
(Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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