Ian Maatsen faces several more weeks on the sidelines as the Aston Villa defender continues his recovery from ankle tendon damage.
The Netherlands international suffered the injury during Villa’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest on 12 September after a challenge from James McAtee.
Initial fears surrounded the severity of the problem, but subsequent scans delivered one important piece of positive news.
Maatsen did not suffer a fracture.
However, damage to the tendon in his right ankle is expected to keep the 24-year-old unavailable for approximately six to eight weeks.
That makes a return during the early stages of October highly unlikely despite Aston Villa’s lengthy international break.
Ian Maatsen injury explained after MRI scan
Maatsen was forced off late in the Nottingham Forest defeat.
Villa had already used all five substitutions, leaving Unai Emery’s side to complete the match with 10 players.
Our original Ian Maatsen injury report detailed the results of the subsequent assessment.
RotoWire, citing The Athletic, reports that MRI scans revealed tendon damage in Maatsen’s right ankle but no fracture.
The expected recovery period remains six to eight weeks.
That is important when considering when supporters could realistically see him back.
Six weeks from the Nottingham Forest injury takes Maatsen towards the final weekend of October.
Eight weeks would take his recovery into early November.
Which Aston Villa games could Ian Maatsen miss?
The three-week international break removes several potential fixtures from Maatsen’s absence.
Even so, Villa still face a demanding October schedule before the earliest point of his estimated return window.
| Fixture | Date | Maatsen outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa vs Brentford | 10 October | Expected to miss |
| Aston Villa vs Fenerbahçe | 14 October | Expected to miss |
| Newcastle United vs Aston Villa | 17 October | Expected to miss |
| Aston Villa vs Viking | 21 October | Expected to miss |
| Aston Villa vs Manchester City | 24 October | Earliest edge of six-week window |
| Aston Villa vs Fulham | 31 October | More realistic potential return opportunity |
| Barcelona vs Aston Villa | 3 November | Falls inside expected return period |
| Manchester United vs Aston Villa | 7 November | Around eight weeks after injury |
The Premier League’s official October schedule confirms Villa face Brentford, Newcastle, Manchester City and Fulham during the month.
UEFA has also confirmed Champions League meetings with Fenerbahçe, Viking and Barcelona.
Supporters can follow every upcoming game through our Aston Villa fixtures and results hub.
There is currently no confirmed comeback fixture.
Manchester City on 24 October sits around the earliest end of the initial six-to-eight-week estimate, but that does not mean Maatsen will automatically be ready to play.
He would still need to complete his rehabilitation and return to full team training.
Fulham on 31 October may therefore become a more realistic date to monitor if his recovery progresses smoothly.
Matteo Ruggeri has stepped into the Aston Villa role
Maatsen’s absence created an immediate opportunity for Matteo Ruggeri.
The summer arrival started Villa’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham and produced an encouraging performance during his first major run in the side.
We analysed how Ruggeri has given Emery an answer during Maatsen’s absence following the Spurs victory.
Ruggeri does not need to replicate Maatsen exactly.
Maatsen offers Villa significant technical quality when moving into advanced and central areas.
Ruggeri provides a different profile, with a more natural tendency to maintain width or offer defensive security from the left.
That difference can actually help Emery while other areas of the side continue to evolve.
Villa can adapt without copying Maatsen’s role
The Tottenham victory demonstrated that Villa can change their build-up structure when key progressive players are unavailable.
Emery’s side showed greater willingness to play beyond the opposition press instead of relying exclusively on short combinations.
Our analysis of Villa’s more direct tactical approach showed how that helped Villa create opportunities against Spurs.
That adjustment reduces some of the pressure on Ruggeri to perform Maatsen’s exact role in possession.
It also allows Villa to use Zion Suzuki’s distribution and the movement of their attacking players to progress the ball more directly.
Maatsen remains a major loss.
But Emery has already demonstrated that his system can be adjusted rather than forcing another player into an unsuitable imitation of the Dutchman.
International break helps but does not erase Maatsen absence
The timing of the injury could have been considerably worse.
Villa do not play another Premier League game until Brentford visit Villa Park on 10 October.
That gives Maatsen several uninterrupted weeks of rehabilitation without Villa playing league matches.
However, the six-to-eight-week prognosis means he is still expected to miss the initial run after club football resumes.
The latest status of Maatsen and Villa’s other unavailable players can be followed in our regularly updated Aston Villa injury and suspension hub.
The immediate responsibility therefore falls to Ruggeri and Emery’s other defensive options.
Maatsen avoided the fracture initially feared after the Nottingham Forest challenge.
That is the encouraging part.
But based on the current recovery estimate, Villa supporters should be looking towards the end of October or beginning of November rather than the Brentford restart for his return.
