Diego Carlos has sustained a hamstring injury during a training session in the latest injury blow for Aston Villa.
The 30-year-old, who has made 25 appearances for Villa across all competitions this season, is set to undergo tests to determine the severity of the issue.
An absence for Carlos adds to Villa’s defensive injury list with fellow centre-back Ezri Konsa sidelined with a knee issue, which head coach Unai Emery estimated would keep the Englishman out for “three or four weeks, more or less” when speaking last week.
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Pau Torres, meanwhile, has not featured for Villa this calendar year after sustaining an ankle injury but has been an unused substitute in last week’s home defeats against Chelsea and Manchester United. Tyrone Mings is a longer-term absentee after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in August.
Clement Lenglet, on loan from Barcelona, has enjoyed a run in the team amid Torres’ absence. Calum Chambers is another option at centre-back but has made only three appearances — all in the Conference League — this season, while Kortney Hause was again left out of Villa’s Premier League squad for the second half of the campaign.
Carlos has previously suffered injury frustrations at Villa Park, having required surgery after rupturing his Achilles tendon during his second game for the club in August 2022.
The Brazilian’s hamstring problem is another injury setback for Villa with Boubacar Kamara set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a suspected ACL injury. Kamara, a holding midfielder, has played as a central defender previously in his career.
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Villa’s injury list grows
Diego Carlos’ injury potentially compounds Aston Villa’s growing list of injury concerns, with Unai Emery already without central defenders Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, while Pau Torres has recently returned to the squad but is yet to play in 2024.
It leaves Clement Lenglet and Calum Chambers — who was available to leave in January — as the only defenders capable of deputising in central defence.
Boubacar Kamara suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this week, becoming the third player to rupture their ACL after Mings and Emiliano Buendia.
(Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)