Tyrone Mings pens emotional message to Aston Villa fans after making long-awaited return from injury

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Aston Villa produced the perfect performance in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

There were plenty of emotional moments to savour as Aston Villa triumphed 2-0 over Bologna to remain top of the Champions League table.

John McGinn captained the side on his return to the starting XI following injury, with Paul Merson comparing McGinn to Frank Lampard for his free kick that opened the deadlock.

For the first time in eight months, midfielder Boubacar Kamara took to the field after recovering from his ACL injury, replacing Youri Tielemans for the final 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, defender Tyrone Mings was named on the team sheet for the first time since being stretchered off in the opening-day loss to Newcastle United in August 2023.

• READ MORE: Jhon Duran and Leon Bailey wowed by what Aston Villa ‘superstar’ did during Bologna win

Tyrone Mings sends emotional message to Aston Villa fans

Mings has endured a long road to recovery, spending a lot of time rehabilitating away from his teammates and being denied the chance to play a part in their top-four finish last term.

Last week, Emery confirmed that the Englishman’s nightmare had come to an end, claiming Mings was fit and available for the trip to Fulham alongside Kamara.

While the Frenchman was named on the bench, the 31-year-old did travel with the matchday squad but was left out.

On Tuesday night however, Mings made his long-awaited return from injury as he was named among the substitutes against Bologna in the Champions League.

14 months and 438 days since he was last selected for a first-team squad, the moment was an emotional one for Mings, who penned a message to the fans after the game thanking them for their support.

He posted on X: “Your support means the world to me. I’ve received 100s of well wishing messages in the 437 days I’ve been away, that have helped immensely. Being back at Villa Park was the feeling I’ve dreamt of for a long time.”

Moments like this make all the dark days he’s gone through well worth it, and the next step for the towering centre-back is to earn some minutes on the pitch.

• READ MORE: Morgan Rogers just did something vs Bologna that only Jack Grealish managed for Aston Villa

When Mings could play for Aston Villa

The fixtures continue to come thick and fast for Aston Villa, who play five matches in the space of 14 days between the end of October and the start of November.

Villa play Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Liverpool with a Champions League clash against Club Brugge sandwiched between.

Mings will be eyeing up one of those games to make his full return, maybe from the bench at first, with a trip to Brugge in Europe’s elite competition perhaps the most appealing.

Emery won’t want to throw him into a high-pressured fixture against Tottenham or Liverpool while it’s unlikely he’ll play a part in Bournemouth or Palace unless he’s introduced from the bench.

The Spanish boss will just be pleased that Mings is available to take his place alongside his current defensive options.