Unai Emery has been discussing his Aston Villa squad ahead of the trip to Hull City, touching on injuries, his Champions League squad selection and just how highly he rates an up and coming talent at Bodymoor Heath.
Emery gave an update on Johan Manzambi’s continued absence, with the Swiss signing still working his way back to full fitness.
“No, not yet. He’s training with the group and getting better and feeling good but he will need some days more. I don’t know if for the Champions League on Tuesday or for the next match against Nottingham Forest.”
Villa are also without Joao Gomes through suspension for the trip to Hull, while Amadou Onana remains a long-term absentee as he continues his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery. Elsewhere, though, Emery sounded relatively upbeat.
“No really bad news. I think the players they are ready and some players we have signed in the last week will get progressively better and better and understanding our way to play.
“Hopefully tomorrow we can do one step forward, playing better, competing better, and hopefully getting some points.”
The headline news, though, centred on Villa’s Champions League squad list. With the club falling short of the required homegrown quota, Emery was forced to trim his 25-man group to 23, and summer arrival Taylor Harwood-Bellis was among those to miss out, alongside youngsters Modou Keba Cisse and Brian Madjo.
Emery singles Madjo out for special praise
Madjo only made his Villa debut last month, having spent much of the year in limbo over eligibility rules following his January move from Metz. But when he finally got his chance, in the UEFA Super Cup final against PSG, he made it count in style scoring a stunning equaliser to become the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history, breaking a 30-year-old record held by Patrick Kluivert.
Despite his exclusion, Emery was quick to stress this isn’t the last Villa fans will see of Madjo in Europe, and he can’t wait to see what he can do in both the short and long-term future.
“Madjo is 17 years old, still being so, so young, and of course he will have more opportunities to play with us this year or the next year in Europe.”
It’s not hard to see why Emery is so excited. Standing at 6 foot 4, Madjo has already drawn comparisons to Romelu Lukaku and Emile Heskey for his physical presence, while pundits queued up to praise him. Stan Collymore called him “a colossus of a man, reminiscent of a Lukaku when he comes towards the ball, holds it, pops it off and spins away” after the cup final, while legendary number nine Ally McCoist singled out his physicality during commentary on the game itself.
Speaking more broadly, Emery outlined why patience is needed with the club’s growing crop of young talent, several of whom have arrived over the past year.
“A lot of young players with huge potential. Some can show the potential quick and some take time. But, we are very motivated, very excited, how we can get and keep the same level we had in Premier League.”
|
Nationality |
Previous Club |
Fee |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicolas Jackson |
Senegal |
Chelsea |
£65m |
|
Johan Manzambi |
Switzerland |
Freiburg |
£59.5m |
|
Ibrahim Mbaye |
Senegal |
PSG |
£47m |
|
Joao Gomes |
Brazil |
Wolves |
£38m |
|
Zion Suzuki |
Japan |
Parma |
£30m |
|
Taylor Harwood-Bellis |
England |
Southampton |
£29m |
|
Matteo Ruggeri |
Italy |
Atletico Madrid |
£17m |
|
Modou Keba Cisse |
Senegal |
LASK |
£4.3m |
|
Leon Goretzka |
Germany |
Bayern Munich |
Free |
|
Alejandro Garnacho |
Argentina |
Chelsea |
Loan |
|
Aaron Wan-Bissaka |
DR Congo |
West Ham |
Loan |
Madjo isn’t the only one waiting for his chance. Keba Cisse, another exciting addition to the squad, has also been left out of the Champions League group this season but represents another long-term project Emery is clearly keen to develop.
With Villa’s academy pipeline continuing to feed talent through and Emery openly discussing his excitement for what’s to come, the message from Bodymoor Heath is clear: patience afer a summer of upheaval, but plenty more to look forward to.