Rashford’s Season at Villa Cut Short by Injury

Published on May 16, 2025

Aston Villa’s push for Champions League qualification has been dealt a significant blow with Marcus Rashford ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.

The England forward’s absence will be felt in Villa’s final two games, including Friday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur and the season finale against Manchester United on May 25.

Rashford, 27, has been sidelined since last month and missed the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace. His future at Villa remains uncertain, with the club holding a £40 million($53 million) option to sign him permanently.

Reports suggest Rashford’s desire to play Champions League football next season may impact his decision to stay with Villa, who have yet to secure a European spot.

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Villa manager Unai Emery faces further selection headaches with Youri Tielemans also ruled out of Friday’s match, while Jacob Ramsey will serve a suspension.

“Youri and Marcus are not available and Jacob Ramsey is suspended,” Emery said. “We have to do each step forward, testing and analysing how they are recovering. I don’t know if they will be available physically (next week), because Marcus can’t play next week.”

The Tottenham match, moved to Friday night to accommodate Spurs’ Europa League final preparations, had Villa unhappy with the scheduling decision. Concerns have been raised about Tottenham’s priorities, but Emery expects the north London club to be competitive.

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“They are trying to manage to play Premier League and Europa League, how they are performing in the Europa League is really fantastic,” he added. “They are in the final, they are going to play with their better players, they are going to try and compete in getting the best performances to get ready for the final.”

Villa are chasing a top-five finish to secure Champions League qualification for a second successive season. Emery is focused on the task at hand, saying,

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“I wish to play, I don’t want holiday because we are in a very good moment after a long season. Now we are very, very motivated, very excited to play in Villa Park tomorrow (Friday) for our objectives we have in front of us to play again in Europe. It is not in our hands, but we can have some chance to play Champions League again. We are focusing on Tottenham.”

“But they are working every day and they are feeling better.”

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