Tammy Abraham suddenly has a major Aston Villa opportunity after Brian Madjo’s cruel injury setback reduced Unai Emery’s options at centre-forward.
Madjo had exploded into first-team contention after scoring against Paris Saint-Germain and becoming the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Super Cup history, but the 17-year-old is now expected to remain sidelined until at least September.
That leaves Ollie Watkins and Abraham as Villa’s only fit senior strikers heading towards the Premier League opener against Brighton, according to talkSPORT’s latest injury update.
Tammy Abraham gets another Aston Villa chance
Abraham’s position looked far less secure only a few weeks ago.
ReadAstonVilla reported in July that Villa were prepared to consider suitable offers for Tammy Abraham despite not actively attempting to sell him.
The 28-year-old had struggled to build consistent momentum after returning to Villa Park in January, with a shoulder problem eventually requiring surgery following the end of last season.
Abraham is now fit again and was part of Emery’s squad for Wednesday’s Super Cup final.
Madjo’s emergence threatened to push him further down the attacking order after Emery trusted the teenager from the start against PSG, a decision spectacularly rewarded by his historic equaliser.
ReadAstonVilla covered how Madjo smashed the UEFA Super Cup goalscoring record on his competitive Villa debut.
His injury changes the picture.
Borussia Monchengladbach could be important for Abraham
Villa’s final pre-season fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach now provides Abraham with an ideal chance to force himself back towards the front of Emery’s thoughts.
The game kicks off at Borussia-Park at 2.30pm BST on Saturday, with Villa then having just over a week before their Premier League campaign begins.
Watkins remains Villa’s established first-choice striker, but his summer has been disrupted by an extended break following World Cup involvement.
Abraham therefore has an opportunity to demonstrate that Emery does not need to look elsewhere whenever Watkins is unavailable or requires rest.
His profile also differs from Watkins.
At his best, Abraham can provide Villa with a strong penalty-box presence, hold-up option and aerial target. His previous spell at the club showed his goalscoring ability, with the striker scoring 26 times as Villa won promotion in 2018/19. Villa’s official profile confirms he has since returned permanently and remains under contract as part of Emery’s senior squad.
Madjo setback changes the striker picture
Madjo’s absence should not automatically guarantee Abraham minutes.
The teenager is only expected to be missing temporarily, while Villa have also explored other attacking options during the transfer window.
But circumstances can change quickly in football.
A few weeks ago, Abraham’s future was sufficiently uncertain for Villa to listen to offers. Now one of the players threatening his place has suffered a setback immediately before the season starts.
Abraham has been handed an opening.
What he does with it against Gladbach and during the opening weeks of the Premier League season could go a long way towards deciding his Aston Villa future.
