Most Aston Villa fans would comfortably have Youri Tielemans as the club's Player of the Season. In terms of minutes logged and consistent quality on the pitch, there haven't been too many better than the Belgian in all of the Premier League this season. This makes the latest news that much more of a gut punch for a campaign that once looked so promising and now sees the side fighting for a Champions League qualification spot.
Tielemans, as reported by The New York Times' Athletic, will miss the next couple of fixtures due to an unspecified muscle injury. While the article expressed optimism in the midfielder's ability to potentially return for the last EPL match against Manchester United, even that doesn't look too likely at the moment.
The next Villa games will be against AFC Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur, and the aforementioned Manchester side. It remains an important stretch with a CL qualification to play for still, although Villa will need others ahead of them to drop points.
In any event, chasing after these critical final nine points has become that much more difficult without Tielemans. In terms of setting the tone and leaving his imprint within a match as a true box-to-box midfielder, it's clear how important the Belgian has been for AVFC.
Adjustments needed from Aston Villa
Despite the 'starting 22,' Tielemans has found himself starting throughout all competitions and usually ends up playing the full 90 minutes as well. For a team that has as much depth as it does and willingness to switch out some of the higher-profile players throughout the lineup, his inclusion for each match only further demonstrates Unai Emery's trust in him.
The depth of the squad will allow Villa to still contend during the final matchday with a more than capable squad. Most would likely expect Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara to play in front of the back line. John McGinn is also someone who could see himself playing in a deeper role, potentially affording increased run time for someone like Leon Bailey or Jacob Ramsey further up the pitch.
In any event, the exclusion of Tielemans, most likely for the rest of the season, will leave a noticeable impact on the squad. Not only will the starting XI see a shakeup, but the rotation of players coming off the bench will now require a different approach from the Villa boss.