Aston Villa will be without midfielder Boubacar Kamara for the rest of the 2023/24 season, with his statistics this term revealing just how much of a miss he will be for Unai Emery.
Aston Villa had a week to forget last week, as Unai Emery’s side recorded two home defeats and lost Boubacar Kamara to injury within the span of five days.
The Villans were on a roll prior to the week of horrors at Villa Park, with the defeats to both Chelsea and Manchester United eclipsed by the damning revelation of Kamara’s blow.
After being taken off in the 65th minute, fans anxiously awaited the verdict of the extent of his injury, which has since been revealed as a season-ending ACL rupture.
The timeframe of Kamara’s injury has been speculated, with the usual recovery time for an injury of that severity looking towards a year.
Emery will now have to test the adaptability of his squad and make a tactical shift to accommodate the loss of the 24-year-old, who will be a difficult player to replace.
How much Aston Villa will miss Boubacar Kamara in midfield
Described by journalist John Townley as being a “devastating blow”, Kamara’s role in Villa’s midfield is now vacant, leaving a significant task for the player chosen to replace him.
Today, WhoScored shared statistics that highlighted just how much of a miss the midfielder will be for Emery’s side, with his contribution to the squad made clear through his numbers.
Having made 43 tackles and 21 interceptions, Kamara is the second-highest rated Villa player in those areas, as well as possessing the third-best pass success rate with 89.3%.
The former Marseille ace possesses all the qualities that the manager wants in his midfield alongside Douglas Luiz, with journalist Jacob Tanswell describing how integral the France international is to Villa.
Tanswell called Kamara, “the only player in the squad who can do what he [Emery] wants in a deep-lying midfielder. His injury is a shattering blow.”
What Unai Emery needs from a Boubacar Kamara replacement
As highlighted by WhoScored’s statistics, Kamara’s presence will be difficult to replace, particularly without jeopardising the role expected of Luiz.
In the pivot with the Brazilian, the 24-year-old acts as the anchor to allow his counterpart to get involved up field, something that has worked so well for Villa this season and something that Emery will not want to disturb.
Only time will tell who the Spaniard deems as his best option to cover for the Frenchman’s lengthy absence, in what has been a disastrous season on the injury from for the Villans.
