Johan Manzambi update with Aston Villa record signing facing battle

Villa record signing Johan Manzambi will miss next week’s European Super Cup final as he continues an injury comeback.

The attacker is undergoing treatment on a knee injury picked up during this summer’s World Cup, in which he starred for Switzerland.

The £52million Villa Park recruit is now battling to be fit in time for the Premier League opener at Brighton on August 23.

Manzambi has yet to feature in pre-season friendly action for Villa and is not part of the squad that jetted to the Far East for the tour that sees Villa in action against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on Friday night.

The 20-year-old is instead working on his comeback with knee specialist Jurdan Mendiguchia in Spain.

The former Freiburg man, who played against Unai Emery’s side in the Europa League final in May, has been ruled out of featuring in next week’s European Super Cup final against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg.

There is one more friendly after the European final, as Emery’s side visit Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park Stadium on August 15, and it remains to be seen whether Manzambi will be deemed ready.

Villa’s top flight campaign gets under way eight days later away to the Seagulls, where the attacker is battling to feature.

Emi Buendia has played a prominent role in pre-season and has showed some encouraging form for Emery’s side.

Villa are assessing new boy Alejandro Garnacho, who took a blow to the face, and John McGinn, who appeared to hurt his left knee, after the latest tour friendly against Pathum United in Thailand on Tuesday.

Midfielder Boubacar Kamara made a goalscoring return after his ACL knee injury absence.