Aston Villa Dealt Blow As Defender’s Injury Update Is Known: What Option Should Emery Trust Now?

Aston Villa Dealt Blow As Defender’s Injury Update Is Known: What Option Should Emery Trust Now? Aston Villa have suffered a damaging injury setback after Ian Maatsen sustained tendon damage to his ankle during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest . The Dutch left-back left the pitch late after a heavy challenge from James McAtee, but Unai Emery had already made all five substitutions, leaving Villa with 10 players late on. Forest then scored the winner through Igor Jesus. Scans found no fracture, yet they showed tendon damage that could sideline Maatsen for six to eight weeks, according to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell . Emery had feared a much longer absence, so the expected November return offers some relief, with the international break set to reduce the number of club matches he misses. Emery felt VAR should have stepped in and given McAtee a red card. The defeat left Villa 19th with one point from their opening league fixtures. Aston Villa need a clear replacement plan This injury hurts more than the loss of one starter. Maatsen gives Emery a left-sided outlet, stretching opponents with aggressive overlaps and helping Villa create uneven attacking shapes. His absence removes that outlet just as the side seeks stability, while Pau Torres is already out with a hamstring problem. BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 12: Ian Maatsen of Aston Villa during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Villa Park on September 12, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) The numbers show how involved Maatsen had become. In 2025/26, he made 30 Premier League appearances, playing 1,606 minutes, while he featured 11 times in the Europa League. This term, he has reached 336 Premier League minutes, plus 90 in the Champions League and 90 in the Super Cup. Can Aston Villa trust Matteo Ruggeri now? Yes, and Emery should make that call quickly. Matteo Ruggeri is the squad’s only natural left-back, so giving him the starting role keeps the shape more coherent than forcing a square peg into the position. His defensive positioning may look less adventurous than Maatsen’s, but Villa need balance. Wan-Bissaka offers another option as an inverted left-back. His 1v1 defending can protect the flank, though Villa would lose Maatsen’s left-footed width and crossing. With fixtures piling up and confidence already fragile, Emery needs a simple solution rather than constant reshuffling. For this side, continuity may matter more than trying to recreate every part of Maatsen’s role. That matters because Villa cannot afford another spell of uncertainty on that flank, especially with European fixtures demanding every week ahead. That may prove decisive in Europe too.