Aston Villa will be without Ross Barkley for several months after manager Unai Emery confirmed the midfielder has suffered a long-term injury.
It’s a fresh injury blow for Villa as the Midlands side prepare for a difficult run of December fixtures.
With games coming thick and fast, squad depth and rotation is crucial as rest and recovery is limited.
But one man they’ll now have to live without over the festive period is Ross Barkley.
Unai Emery Confirms Ross Barkley Injury
Thirty-one-year-old midfielder Barkley was forced off in the closing stages of Villa’s 1-0 win against Wolves.
He had only replaced Youri Tielemans 13 minutes prior during Sunday’s game.
But post-game assessments confirmed the 33-capped England international suffered sprained knee ligaments.
As a result, he will be out for longer than initially thought.
ASTON VILLA | Ross Barkley joins the injury list with a knee problem. He could be out for 12 weeks.
Tyrone Mings remains sidelined. #FPL | #AVFC pic.twitter.com/sB428vQDEo
— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) December 2, 2025
Villa boss Unai Emery confirmed the extent of Barkley’s injury.
“I don’t know how long exactly Barkley is out for, but maybe eight, 10 or 12 weeks,” he said.
“It is a pity because we were getting a good performance from him. He was so close to the starting XI.”
Barkley has so far made eight appearances for Villa in all competitions, scoring one goal.
That is despite him missing the first 10 games of the season due to a personal issue.
Ross Barkely’s injury may force Emery to reintegrate a forgotten man, with Harvey Elliott’s Aston Villa transfer looking disastrous for the Liverpool loanee so far.
Tyrone Mings Injury Will Keep Him Out Of Brighton Clash
Elsewhere, defender Tyron Mings will also miss Wednesday night’s trip to Brighton.
The 32-year-old is continuing his rehabilitation from a hamstring issue, having not featured since Villa’s 2-0 loss at Liverpool on 1 November.
Mings only returned to the pitch at Anfield, having missed three games with a foot injury beforehand.
Emery confirmed both Mings and Barkley would miss out in midweek.
“They are out tomorrow (Wednesday), Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley,” he said.
Barkley had made his way back into the Villa squad against Burnley in October, but now faces another break from action thanks to this latest set-back.
Aston Villa’s December Fixtures Offer Little Respite
With a busy festive schedule, Villa will need all hands on deck as they navigate a tough run of games.
First up is Wednesday’s trip to Brighton, before hosting league leaders Arsenal – who they play twice this month – on Saturday.
After that, they travel to Basel in the Europa League, then play West Ham, Manchester United and Chelsea, ending 2025 with a trip to Arsenal on 30 December.
Aston Villa’s December Fixtures:
- Wed 3 Dec – Brighton (A)
- Sat 6 Dec – Arsenal (H)
- Thu 11 Dec – Basel (A) – Europa League
- Sun 14 Dec – West Ham (A)
- Sun 21 Dec – Manchester United (H)
- Sat 27 Dec – Chelsea (A)
- Tue 30 Dec – Arsenal (A)
