Yahoo News Aston Villa suffer injury blow ahead of Lille clash as Unai Emery delivers team news update
Alex Moreno will miss the next two to three weeks with a calf injury, Unai Emery confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of Aston Villa's Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg against Lille.
The left-back will miss the following two Premier League games against Bournemouth and Chelsea as well as a possible Europa Conference League semi-final first leg if Villa progress in the competition. Villa have a one-goal advantage after beating Lille 2-1 at Villa Park last week. Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the first half, before John McGinn doubled the lead on the hour mark.
Lille halved the deficit in the 83rd minute when Bafode Diakite headed in Remy Cabella's corner, to set up what is a finely poised second leg on Thursday (5:45pm BST kick-off). Villa were without Clement Lenglet and Matty Cash for the first leg, but both players have since overcome injury.
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Lenglet and Cash were both included in the matchday squad to face Arsenal last weekend, but neither came off the substitutes bench. Villa won 2-0 to dent Arsenal's title hopes and boost their own chances of securing a top four finish this term.
It's crucial that Villa use their feel good factor as momentum to advance to the Europa Conference League semi-finals by knocking Lille out. The winner of this tie will then play either Fenerbahce or Olympiakos at home and then away in the semi-finals.
