Talking Tactics: How Emery can cope with Villa's rotten injury luck

After a pre-season full of optimism, a horror week for Aston Villa has brought them back down to earth.

The Villans have lost both Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings to significant knee injuries, while they were thrashed 5-1 by Newcastle in their Premier League opener.

As they look to get their campaign up and running against Everton on Sunday, we look at how Unai Emery can cope with the absences of their influential duo.

Rotten luck

If losing one key player to a long-term injury at the start of the season was not unfortunate enough, losing another in such a short space of time is a rotten turn of luck.

The duo had enjoyed impressive pre-seasons and would undoubtedly have been regular starters in Emery's XI throughout the campaign, much like they were last term.

With both Jacob Ramsey and Alex Moreno also currently out, being without four members of the first team with European football on the horizon is less than ideal.

The loss of Mings is a particular blow, with Villa winning just one of the 12 league games he did not start since his move from Bournemouth in 2019.

Defensive decision

Villa have bolstered their defence in the last two summer transfer windows so it is unclear whether Emery will keen to return to the market following the loss of his big No5.

Their acquisition of Pau Torres was one of the Premier League's most eye-catching deals this summer, with his favoured role the left-sided centre-back area that Mings has now vacated.

While the Spaniard cannot offer the same aerial dominance as his injured team-mate, he looks to have the ball-playing capabilities to thrive in the Premier League once he gets a run of games.

Last summer's marquee signing Diego Carlos is also available once again. The Brazilian's physicality is closer to Mings' level and will be determined to finally prove himself at Villa Park.

Ezri Konsa is the current starter on the right side of defence after an impressive 2022-23 campaign but questions remain over his effectiveness to thrive without Mings next to him.

Attackers needed

Replacing Buendia is more nailed on, with a loan move for Nicolo Zaniolo from Galatasaray seemingly close to being confirmed.

Zaniolo, 24, crossed paths with Villa's sporting director Monchi at Roma and their previous relationship has helped broker the deal.

The versatile forward would certainly fill the creative void left by Buendia, while he also has a Europa Conference League winners medal after scoring the winner for Roma in the inaugural final in 2022.

All is not lost

Villa are not short of attackers already at the club who will fancy themselves to step up.

Moussa Diaby's goalscoring debut was one of the few positives of a grim afternoon on Tyneside after impressing in Buendia's usual role just behind striker Ollie Watkins.

Both Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey's Villa careers are still yet to really take off and both will be desperate to find the consistency to go with their unquestioned respective abilities.

While the Villans are now in a position where losing key men is no longer disastrous, whether their current crop can cope with the added workload of European football and realise their lofty ambitions this season remains to be seen.