Leon Goretzka closes in on Aston Villa debut after injury

Leon Goretzka is closing in on his Aston Villa debut, delayed by a knee injury sustained after his arrival from Bayern Munich. The Germany international has yet to play for the Premier League club after picking up the injury in training soon after arriving in England.

The midfielder has now resumed training with the squad, Emery confirmed. That progress brings Goretzka closer to selection, but does not guarantee he will be available for the next match. “Not tomorrow. He is training with us on Monday and Thursday. I don’t know whether he will be ready for Wednesday,” the manager said.

After his injury, Goretzka said his body had reacted poorly to an increase in workload following his time away from the pitch. “It is frustrating, but I need this short break now to return to full strength,” he said.

A return to regular training will be an important step before Aston Villa can consider giving him competitive minutes. Goretzka will now hope to put the injury behind him and show that he can become an important player for Emery.