HLV Unai Emery stunned as new 'monster' unexpectedly falls

Aston Villa faced a huge shock ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser when prodigy Brian Madjo, fresh from his record-breaking feat against PSG, sustained a severe injury.

Aston Villa has taken a heavy blow to its preseason preparations as Brian Madjo, the 17-year-old sensation who recently made waves in the UEFA Super Cup, is expected to be sidelined at least until September. According to The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, both Madjo and João Gomes will miss the early part of the season due to injuries; further tests will determine their exact recovery timelines.

This news is particularly harsh for Madjo, given that just days ago, he turned his official debut for Aston Villa into a historic milestone. Against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup, the 2009-born striker started the match, consistently troubled the Champions League winners' defense, and scored the equalizer to make it 1-1 before halftime.At 17 years and 212 days old, Madjo became the youngest player in history to score in the UEFA Super Cup, breaking Patrick Kluivert's record.

That display left captain John McGinn unable to hide his excitement. He said after the match: "He was absolutely outstanding. It would be easy for him to hang his head after missing chances, but good strikers keep putting themselves in good positions. He's going to be a big player for us this season." Right after that praise, the 17-year-old gem now faces the risk of missing the opening rounds of the Premier League.

According to the fixture list, Aston Villa will visit Brighton on August 23, followed by matches against Arsenal, Hull City, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham. If the "at least until September" return timeline is not shortened, Madjo could miss several games, forcing Unai Emery to rely more on Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham for the striker position.

Villa's difficulties are compounded by João Gomes also facing issues after the PSG match. According to initial updates from The Athletic, the Brazilian midfielder has a calf strain and is expected to be out for about two to four weeks. Meanwhile, Amadou Onana is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during the 2026 World Cup, while Youri Tielemans has moved to Manchester United. The injury crisis is thus eroding the depth of Emery's midfield and attack.

Aston Villa enters the new season as Europa League champions with ambitions to remain among the top group. But before aiming for big goals, Emery must find solutions for the opening phase, as one of his most anticipated discoveries has been suddenly pulled off the stage.