Fresh off a 5-0 thrashing of Walsall in mid-week, Aston Villa will now fly to the Estádio do Dragão, to take on FC Porto this Saturday. They will do so with a squad that welcomes in a new player, Alejandro Garnacho, who comes over on a loan deal from Chelsea. Garnacho swapped clubs with Morgan Rogers, who signed with Chelsea on a deal that breaks the Blues transfer fee record. These two deals were done independently of the other, and not directly connected.
Alejandro is Villa 🏠 pic.twitter.com/ea2ynWrdAM
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 23, 2026
Preseason FYIs
Aston Villa at FC Porto
Kickoff: Sat July 25, 7pm
Venue: Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal
Aston Villa Injury Updates in Full Detail: go here
Alejandro Garnacho, welcome to Aston Villa 🙌 pic.twitter.com/a0XVKGjk0h
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 23, 2026
Aston Villa Team News
Garnacho, who moves over on a season loan with an option, but not obligation to buy, has already been officially announced by the club. Garnacho, who made no secret of his wanting out of Chelsea (and they felt mutual) will wear #17.
He becomes the fourth, or some might say the third, signing of the summer for the Villans.
Villa signed Swiss star-in-the-making Johan Manzambi from SC Freiburg for a club record fee, but he is not expected to feature on Saturday. Manzambi saw his World Cup end early, due to a knee injury, and he missed the final game against Argentina. (Or as some might say, the game against Argentina and FIFA).
João Gomes joined up last week, from Wolves on a £34m ($46m) deal, and made his Villa debut on Tuesday night. And then finally, Modou Keba Cisse, acquired from LASK last summer and then immediately sent out on loan for last season, has become a permanent part of the squad for this season.
Injury wise, Amadou Onana ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Belgium’s humilation of the United States at the World Cup round of 16.
He is done for the season. And then finally, Tammy Abraham and Boubacar Kamara are both coming back from major injuries and set to feature again soon.
However, it most likely will not happen this weekend.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.