Aston Villa handed injury worry in mid-season friendly | OneFootball

Jadon Sancho was forced off with a shoulder injury during Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss to Spanish side Elche in a friendly on Friday morning.

The 26-year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder after battling in a duel with Elche’s Gonzalo Villar, and was quickly replaced by Ollie Watkins.

The winger later left the Pinatar Arena with his arm in a sling, raising fresh concerns over the possibility of another spell on the sidelines.

With the international break underway, Unai Emery’s side travelled to Spain for a three-day warm-weather training camp, aiming to maintain sharpness ahead of a crucial run of fixtures as they battle for a Champions League spot.

Despite the friendly setting, Emery named a strong starting XI, with Tammy Abraham leading the line and Douglas Luiz partnered by Ross Barkley in midfield.

Pau Torres opened the scoring for Villa, but the Premier League side were pegged back on the stroke of half-time before conceding again in the second half.