Premier League star in SUV crash just HOURS before Europa League crunch match

ASTON Villa footballer Jhon Durán smashed his luxury SUV just hours before their crunch match against Lille.

The Colombia international was seen using his phone while standing next to his crushed BMW X6 in Birmingham.

X/TwitterAston Villa footballer Jhon Durán smashed his luxury SUV just hours before their crunch match against Lille[/caption]

GettyThe Colombia international was seen using his phone while standing next to his crushed BMW X6 in Birmingham[/caption]

Pictures posted on X/Twitter showed him wearing a cap and a gold chain with a jumper tied around his Villa training shorts.

The bonnet of his grey £73,000 car was crumpled with the front grill missing a headlight as fluids leaked out from the undercarriage.

Eyewitnesses claimed he crashed into a van at around 11.20am today on the Holloway Head B4127.

One told The Sun: “Durán immediately made sure everyone was OK and stayed at the scene to be fair to him.

“His car was in a really bad way and I would not be surprised if it was written off as that’ll be a dear repair.

“It caused hefty delays through the City Centre but the main thing is no one was injured.

“I guess it’s not ideal preparation for the big game but I hope he still made it to Villa Park on time.”

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “We were called to Holloway Head, Birmingham at around 11.20am today (April 11) to reports of a collision involving a car and a van.

“No injuries were reported.”

Durán, 20, is believed to be fine and will start on the bench for tonight’s Europa Conference League quarter-final.

The Colombian has largely been used as a substitute since signing for the Villans for a reported £15million in January 2023.

But many tipped him to start the home leg against French side Lille with England star striker Olly Watkins still recovering from injury.

He scored his first Premier League goal in the 4-0 win against Everton last August before netting his first goal in Europe against Hibernian two weeks later.

The young prodigy, who previously played for US side Chicago Fire, has won eight caps for Colombia, scoring once against Japan on his debut.

Villa were approached for comment.

Durán, 20, is believed to be fine and will start on the bench for tonight’s quarter-final