Aston Villa striker Brian Madjo and midfielder Joao Gomes are both expected to miss the start of the season through injury.
January signing Madjo, who had to wait until Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup to make his competitive debut, is set to be out until at least September, while summer arrival Gomes is expected to be unavailable for around two to four weeks — although the timeframe is yet to be fully determined — after both players picked up injuries following the loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Madjo, 17, joined Villa from Metz in January in a deal worth £10million but had been unable to feature until the club’s appeal to register him was accepted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in August.
FIFA had initially rejected Villa’s appeal to register the striker on the grounds that he was joining from an overseas club and was under 18.
He made his competitive debut during Wednesday’s defeat to PSG, starting against the European champions and impressing as he scored his side’s equaliser in a 2-1 loss. Striker Ollie Watkins was not in the squad following his involvement with England at this summer’s World Cup, while Tammy Abraham was introduced from the bench in place of Madjo after 78 minutes.
Gomes, meanwhile, moved to Villa from Wolverhampton Wanderers in July for a fee of around £35million.
Gomes joined Villa this summer (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
He also played the opening 78 minutes of Wednesday’s Super Cup loss. However, the 25-year-old sustained a calf injury and is now set for a spell out.
Villa are already missing midfielder Amadou Onana after he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while playing for Belgium at the World Cup.
John McGinn, however, is expected to be fit in time for the start of the Premier League season after sustaining a knee injury in pre-season.
Villa begin the 2026-27 campaign away to Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23. Unai Emery’s side face Arsenal, Hull City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur during the opening month of the season.
