Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia sustains serious knee injury ahead of Premier League season

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia will miss the start of the Premier League season and faces a lengthy spell out after sustaining a knee injury in training.

Villa said Thursday the Argentine playmaker “has suffered a significant knee ligament injury” and will undergo a scan and further consultation with a knee specialist.

The injury happened on Wednesday.

Buendia has scored nine goals in 73 Premier League appearances for Villa since joining from Norwich in 2021 and has been in good form in preseason.

The injury is major blow to manager Unai Emery, whose team begins the Premier League at Newcastle on Saturday and will play in the Europa Conference League this season.

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