Jadon Sancho was forced off with a worrying shoulder injury in Aston Villa’s friendly clash with Elche on Friday.
The on-loan winger fell awkwardly under the challenge of Gonzalo Villar five minutes before half-time.
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Medical staff were quick to tend to the England international who was seen grimacing while holding his right shoulder and left the pitch wearing a sling.
Concerned Villa boss Unai Emery subsequently hauled the 26-year-old off before replacing him with striker Ollie Watkins.
Sancho, who joined the club on loan from Manchester United in September, has made 31 appearances this season.
He has provided one goal and three assists in that time.
The England international has not been selected by Thomas Tuchel for the pre-World Cup friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Instead, he was one of several Villa players who featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.
Aston Villa took a first-half lead when Pau Torres headed home Douglas Luiz’s cross in the 21st minute.
However two second-half goals saw Villa come undone and slip to a 2-1 defeat to the La Liga side in Murcia.
The match concluded Villa’s mid-season trip to Spain where they spent three days in a warm-weather training camp during the international break.
Ill-timed injury
While the nature of Sancho’s injury is yet to be determined, it could not have come at a worse time for Emery.
Villa return to action after the international break with domestic and European success on their agenda.
The Midlands club travel to Bologna for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on April 9 before heading to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
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Sancho had been in encouraging form before the international break, registering assists in back-to-back games.
His recent displays have caught the attention of former club Borussia Dortmund who are keen on bringing the winger back to the Bundesliga when his contract at Old Trafford expires this summer.
It could also tempt Villa into offering him a deal as a free agent at the end of the season.
Villa are hoping to cement a top four finish that would hand them Champions League qualification next season.
Another objective is to deliver European glory and their first trophy since their League Cup success in 1996.
Victory in Istanbul in May would also provide an alternate path back into European football’s leading club competition.
