Aston Villa midfielder Leon Goretzka will not be available until after the international break (h/t official social media page).
Villa signed the experienced German international (73 caps) to bolster their midfield, but he is yet to make his first appearance.
Manager Unai Emery had hoped to include him in the squad from the outset.
However, the 31-year-old is still catching up physically after having no pre-season and has suffered a setback as a result.
He missed this weekend’s Premier League clash with Hull City and is sidelined for their first Champions League game versus Club Brugge.
Thankfully, fellow summer signing Joao Gomes will make his Champions League debut for Villa.
Johan Manzambi is back in training, but Emery is unlikely to throw him into the team.
Goretzka gamble may backfire on Villa
There were legitimate questions about how Goretzka would fit into Emery’s system before the season began.
Given his age, recent injury problems and lack of regular football, those concerns were valid. They have only grown with this latest setback.
Goretzka has yet to make his debut and will now miss another important period as Villa attempt to find consistency domestically and in Europe.
It is still far too early to write him off, and he could yet prove an important addition once fully fit.
However, Villa cannot afford to wait indefinitely for that to happen.
The club’s recruitment team should already be considering their midfield options, because this gamble ,ay not pay dividends.
