Amadou Onana
Amadou Onana (Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa duo Amadou Onana and Pau Torres have been put through their paces in the Dubai heat as they prepare to make their respective returns to action following the international break - and in the gruelling weeks on the horizon as Villa fight on three fronts.
Villa have been given an extended break during this international pause, having not played last weekend; their pencilled in match against Carabao Cup finalists Liverpool was brought forward because of that Wembley date against Newcastle at the weekend, so the Lions' final outing before this break was in the Champions League against Club Brugge.
A small group have travelled to the Middle East this break to partake in a warm weather training camp in order to best prepare themselves for what lies ahead at the very end of this month and beyond, right up to the end of the season.
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Unai Emery is without a number of internationals who are globetrotting and representing their respective countries; Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Ezri Konsa are with England, John McGinn with Scotland, Emi Martinez with Argentina, Lucas Digne with France, Youri Tielemans with Belgium.
Donyell Malen, Matty Cash, Robin Olsen, Leon Bailey, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde and Samuel Iling-Junior are also away with their nations, so it's a relatively skinny squad which Emery is running the rule over this break. Throw in the currently sidelined Ollie Watkins, and the group is thinner still.
There were the heartening signs of Torres and Onana partaking in training, though; the former had been missing since December with a broken foot, but he got minutes under his belt from the bench against Brugge last time out and will be aiming for a starting berth in the weeks to come.
Equally Onana returned to the squad against Brugge without being brought on; Villa's summer signing has endured a disrupted first campaign which has been dogged by setbacks - he hasn't played since the defeat at Wolves at the beginning of February.
Both were on the grass, though, alongside Tyrone Mings and Jacob Ramsey - who have had their own injury problems - Marco Asensio, Axel Disasi, Boubacar Kamara and youngsters including Oliwier Zych and Jamal Jimoh-Aloba.
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Book your flights and trains - Villa fans!
The European dream is still alive and now Aston Villa must travel to Paris to face the mighty PSG.
The French giants are the quarter final opponents after they conquered Liverpool, and now Unai Emery will be plotting their downfall as Villa continue to impress in the Champions League.
UEFA have now confirmed that Villa will play their first leg against PSG at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, April 9, with kick-off at 8pm. The second leg, which will be played at Villa Park, shall kick off at 8pm on Tuesday, April 15. Villa will confirm ticket details in due course.
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