Alejandro Garnacho suffers facial injury in Aston Villa pre-season friendly

Aston Villa's pre-season tour of Thailand has been marred by an injury to new signing Alejandro Garnacho. The winger was forced off during the first half of the match against BG Pathum after a challenge from Ryan Edwards left him with a bloodied mouth. He received treatment on the pitch before being substituted.

The move is a significant blow for Garnacho, who joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea on July 23 in a deal worth 43 million pounds. Unai Emery was hoping the transfer would help the player find his form, but this injury halts his integration into the squad during a crucial preparation phase.

Despite the setback, Aston Villa secured a 3-1 victory with goals from Emi Buendia, Victor Lindelof, and Boubacar Kamara. However, the physical toll was heavy; John McGinn also left the field after jarring his knee, with Emery opting to withdraw him immediately to avoid further risk.

Garnacho is looking to recover his form following a challenging spell at Chelsea, where he struggled to make a consistent impact after his 40 million pound move from Manchester United. With Aston Villa set to play in the Champions League, this season offers a major platform for the winger, provided his recovery from this facial injury is swift.

The club is now awaiting medical assessments on both Garnacho and McGinn before their upcoming friendlies against Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich.