Aston Villa end their pre-season programme with friendlies against Marseille and Villarreal this weekend
Stade Velodrome, home of Marseille
Stade Velodrome, home of Marseille(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa’s preparations for the new campaign ramp up this weekend with two final pre-season friendlies.
Marseille host Villa on Saturday night at 6:00 pm at the Stade Vélodrome, before Villarreal welcome them to the Estadi de la Ceràmica on Sunday at 9:00 pm.
It’s unusual for Villa to play two matches in one weekend, especially in different countries, but it is expected that two separate squads will feature in each game, allowing the club’s first-team stars to get 90 minutes under their belts.
The Premier League campaign then gets underway against Newcastle United the following weekend, with kick-off at 12:30 pm on Saturday, August 16.
Villa began their pre-season with defeats to Walsall and Hansa Rostock, before heading to the USA.
After a 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in Louisville, they claimed their first win of the summer in St. Louis, Missouri, last Wednesday.
They wrapped up their American tour with another 2-2 draw against Nashville on Saturday, before Unai Emery’s team flew back to the UK.
On Wednesday, Villa beat fellow Europa League side AS Roma 4-0 at the Bescot Stadium, although Morgan Rogers suffered an ankle injury shortly after half-time.
Rogers will be hoping to recover in time to face Newcastle on the opening day of the new season next weekend.
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