According to Bild, Goretzka's Aston Villa debut will be temporarily delayed due to left knee discomfort. The joint has recently experienced minor issues from increased exertion, which are not expected to worsen.

Goretzka has a history of left knee problems. In the summer of 2022, he underwent surgery in which doctors arthroscopically removed loose bodies from his knee joint.

Since signing with Aston Villa two weeks ago, Goretzka has missed matches against Arsenal and Hull City, with scores of 0-1 and 0-0 respectively.

Goretzka wrote on social media: "First of all, thank you so much for the incredible welcome. After my first few days at this club, I increasingly feel like I've come to the right place. Unfortunately, my body has reacted to the increased load after not playing an official match for some time."

The 2020 Champions League winner hopes to use the next few days, including the international break, to fully recover. Goretzka previously played for Bayern Munich for eight years, and his contract expired at the end of June, leaving him without a club for nearly two months. He wrote: "By then, I will be ready to fight for you and Villa again."

This means Goretzka will miss Aston Villa's next four matches: the Champions League match against Club Brugge, the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, the League Cup match against Coventry (September 16), and the Premier League match against Tottenham (September 19). His earliest possible Villa debut will be on October 10 at home against Brentford.

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