Aston Villa suffered a big blow from Man City’s decision to win the championship amid Liverpool’s hopes
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has been a key player for Steven Gerrard’s side this season, but Villa may now be without him for an extended period following his recent knee injury.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa faces an extended absence after suffering a serious knee injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

The defender could now be out of action for 16 weeks, meaning he will be out for the rest of this season and will also miss the start of next season. Konsa has played in 29 of Villa’s 36 Premier League games this season, scoring two goals and helping keep eight clean sheets, with his performances earning him a call-up to the England squad earlier this season.

The news will also come as a blow to Liverpool, who are counting on Villa to help them against Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season this Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s City side are currently one point ahead of the Red Devils in the title race as they seek their fourth domestic title in five seasons.

The former midfielder, who captained the Red Devils and played 710 times for them between 1998 and 2015, will want to end Villa’s season on a high to also give Liverpool every hope of winning the title. championship on Sunday.

A major blow to Villa’s cause will be the departure of defender Konsa, who has been a key player for his side this season. Unlike most Premier League matches, Villa are one of six teams playing on Thursday with two games remaining this season. They face relegation-threatened Burnley on Thursday night, with victory for Gerrard’s side leaving Burnley in serious danger of relegation.

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For this match, Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is a potential doubt with a “small problem” but speaking ahead of the game, Gerrard hopes the Argentine will be ready to face the Clarets.

While Villa can still play a key role in how things play out at both ends of the table, Gerrard insists he is solely focused on his team’s achievements and not the fortunes of other clubs.

“No, it’s not that,” Gerrard replied when asked if the games against Burnley and City were more important to their opponents than Villa. “That may be right from their point of view but I’m not involved in the relegation battle or the title race, I’m the manager of Aston Villa and these are two games where we can get three points important.

“We will have a packed house and have 20,000 fans on the waiting list to see us. My responsibility is to win both matches. Villa currently sit 14th in the Premier League table ahead of the final two games of the campaign. Victory in both cases would take them up to 50 points and set them up for a strong first half.