Aston Villa star to miss second straight Euros after suffering another major injury
Nicolo Zaniolo is set to miss his second successive European Championships after suffering a 'serious' injury while playing for Aston Villa against Liverpool on Monday.
Italy midfielder Zaniolo came on in the 65th minute but had to be replaced less than a quarter of an hour later as he limped down the tunnel at Villa Park. The 24-year-old has since undergone further medical assessment, which has found a microfracture in his foot, according to Corriere dello Sport.
It has been described as a 'serious' injury, with Zaniolo and his parent club, Galatasaray, now awaiting how long he might be out for. The recovery time for that particular problem is typically at least a month, and with Italy set to kickstart their Euro 2024 campaign against Albania on Saturday, June 15, his chances of making the tournament are looking increasingly slim.
Due to the expected lay-off, reports in Italy suggest Zaniolo is unlikely to be called up by Luciano Spalletti for Euro 2024, with '70 to 80 per cent' of his squad already decided. After their tournament opener against Albania, Italy then face Spain and Croatia in their remaining Group B fixtures.
It will be the second straight Euros that Zaniolo has missed as he was recovering from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture in the summer of 2021 when the rescheduled Euro 2020 took place. Italy went on to win the tournament, beating England in the final at Wembley on penalties.
Zaniolo has scored twice in 19 appearances for Italy, with his last appearance coming as a starter against Ecuador in March. He had forced himself back in their plans ahead of Euro 2024, meaning his latest injury is another major blow. Zaniolo is still yet to feature at a major tournament.
Nicolo Zaniolo
As for his club future, agent Claudio Vigorelli discussed Zaniolo and where he might end up this summer with Galatasaray expected to offload him either way once his season-long loan spell is over at Villa.
"Today we only think about finishing the season well," he told TuttoMercatoWeb last week. "The Premier League was a wonderful experience and that doesn't mean he can't continue. Let's focus on the end of the season and the European Championship, which is upon us, then we'll see."
If Zaniolo does return to Villa, then he will be playing Champions League football after Unai Emery's side booked their place in Europe's elite club competition on Tuesday. Villa will finish fourth having collected 68 points so far, with a trip to Crystal Palace to come on the final day of the season.
Zaniolo joined Villa on loan from Galatasaray last summer and has helped them have a successful season, with the former Roma midfielder making 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals. That does include a couple of important strikes in the Premier League, having scored the equaliser in a crucial 1-1 draw at West Ham in March.
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