John McGinn’s injury has raised concerns for Aston Villa during pre-season after the captain was forced to leave the field in the match against BG Pathum United.
McGinn landed awkwardly on his left knee following a foul, prompting Unai Emery to promptly substitute the midfielder.
McGinn initially attempted to continue and managed to walk from the pitch without assistance. However, Emery immediately wagged his finger towards the Scotland international and instructed him to come off rather than risk aggravating the problem.
The incident came during Villa’s second fixture of their Asian tour. Emery’s side travelled to Thailand after beating Indonesia All Stars 3-1 in Jakarta at the weekend.
John McGinn injury gives Aston Villa concern
BirminghamLive’s Aston Villa correspondent John Townley reported that McGinn hurt his left knee after being fouled and landing awkwardly.
The fact McGinn walked off will offer some encouragement, although Villa will need to assess him before determining the extent of any problem. Emery’s reaction suggested the manager had little interest in allowing his captain to take an unnecessary risk during pre-season.
McGinn only recently returned to Villa following his World Cup commitments with Scotland. He joined first-team training towards the end of July before travelling with the squad for the tour of Asia.
ReadAstonVilla’s BG Pathum United preview outlined how Emery planned to continue building the fitness of his returning senior players. McGinn’s setback could now affect those plans ahead of a much tougher friendly against Bayern Munich on Friday.
Villa have not yet provided a diagnosis or recovery timeframe. The next update should establish whether Emery acted purely as a precaution or whether the John McGinn injury requires further assessment.
