Aston Villa dealt injury blow but are ‘delighted’ to offer defender new deal

Aston Villa are back in action next Sunday at home to Aston Villa.

Steven Gerrard’s side won 1-0 against Southampton in their last game before the international break.

They are currently 15th in the league table and three points above the drop zone.

Here is a look at the latest news coming out of the club...

Youngster lands contract

Aston Villa have handed a first professional contract to youngster Thierry Katsukunya.

The defender joined the club in 2021 from Coventry City and has impressed since his switch.

Academy Manager Mark Harrison has told the official club website:

“We are delighted to see Thierry sign his first professional contract. It is recognition of the potential he has displayed and his excellent attitude.

“This has also led to him being involved in our Under-21s and being selected for Wales at Under-17s level. We look forward to seeing how he continues to develop with us.”

Injury blow

Gerrard is expected to be without Boubacar Kamara until after the World Cup.

The Midlands club have been a dealt a big on the injury front.

As per a report by the Express and Star, the summer recruit from Marseille has knee ligament damage is poised to ‘miss’ two months now.

Midfielder opens up about tough summer

Villa midfielder John McGinn has admitted Scotland’s failure to qualify for the World Cup affected their team’s confidence.

He played on Wednesday as Steve Clarke’s side beat Ukraine 3-0 in the Nations League.

Speaking afterwards he said, as per the Independent:

“The summer really hurt us. It damaged us as a group, especially with the progress we were making. It was a huge dent in our confidence, it certainly was.

“Once we got together, the manager set a few things straight. We knew where we had to improve.”