Unai Emery faces impossible task after Aston Villa injury blow as irreplaceable problem emerges

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Unai Emery has a huge problem on his hands after suffering a recent injury blow to one of his key Aston Villa players.

Aston Villa fans were left delighted on Saturday as Unai Emery’s side prevailed as 3-1 winners against midlands rivals Wolves.

The match saw a familiar pattern emerge, with Villa coming from one goal down to produce an inspired second-half comeback with Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Jhon Duran all scoring.

Villa’s fourth league win of the campaign cemented their place as early contenders for the Champions League but also highlighted one major problem Emery could now have.

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John McGinn is irreplaceable to Aston Villa due to one massive factor

Aston Villa captain John McGinn was withdrawn at half-time against Wolves due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by winger Leon Bailey for the second period.

Emery confirmed after the game that McGinn could be unavailable for a few weeks and could now miss the Champions League home tie against Bayern Munich a week on Wednesday.

The Scotsman’s injury serves as a huge blow to Villa during a hectic schedule, as not only does he bring incredible energy and high quality to the pitch but he’s also an irreplaceable figure as captain.

That is according to Aston Villa expert John Townley, who believes McGinn has truly ‘stepped up’ in the role while Tyrone Mings has been absent.

Speaking on the Claret & Blue podcast, Townley said: “I don’t actually think we can replace that on the pitch necessarily, I think McGinn brings an awful lot in that regard, so I’m not going to pretend that anyone else could do it essentially.

“I think it’s one of those things that you have or you don’t, and some players will take time to have that, like McGinn has, because when he first had the armband, I think we were all thinking, well, Mings is still going to be the leader on the pitch, but obviously Mings hasn’t been playing, and I do think McGinn has stepped up in that regard.”

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Who will captain Aston Villa in place of John McGinn?

McGinn’s absence leaves a void that needs filling for a few weeks as Emery chooses his captain for the upcoming matches.

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez is one candidate who could assume the armband having held the responsibility twice last season.

There is often an issue with a goalkeeper being a captain as it’s usually beneficial for an outfield player to do so, with it proving easier to send messages to teammates when required.

That said, Emery could choose midfielder Youri Tielemans as his stand-in captain. The 27-year-old has flourished in the heart of midfield this term, leading by example with his performances while offering support to his teammates.

Other players he could consider giving the armband to are defenders Konsa and Pau Torres while striker Ollie Watkins is surely in with a shout after becoming the club’s most invaluable asset.