Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could have a double fitness boost ahead of our trip to Brentford in our Premier League clash this weekend.
Villa will be looking to get our first win on the board after a goalless draw with Newcastle United in our season opener last time out, and the Basque coach will undoubtedly hope to have a full squad available for the encounter.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference last week, Emery confirmed that Andres Garcia missed out due to injury while Ross Barkley wasn’t yet considered to be match fit after recovering from a setback of his own over the summer.
As seen in the images below though, the Villa pair were both involved in training this week, and so it’s hoped that they’re ready to come back into the matchday squad to give us additional options on the bench.
Garcia will of course be the primary competition to Matty Cash for the right-back position this season as things stand, while Barkley gives us an important alternative dynamic in the midfield pivot with his ability on the ball to make us tick and prise teams open in deeper areas.
That may well be needed against a Brentford side looking to bounce back after a disappointing defeat last weekend, and with pressure on their new boss Keith Andrews, a stubborn defensive display will no doubt be the foundation for their hopes of getting something from the game, and Barkley could possibly have a role to play in helping to unlock them.
Further, with Villa trimming the squad so far this summer to raise funds and reduce our wage bill, it’s imperative that those who form part of Emery’s plans this season stay healthy and are consistent in their reliability and availability, as we’ll need everyone to play their part across four competitions.
In turn, it’s hoped that both Garcia and Barkley are at Emery’s disposal on Saturday, and subsequently will now be able to build momentum and play key roles when needed after seeing the start of the campaigns disrupted by injury setbacks.
Good to see both Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley in training. Hopefully both now fully recovered and fit enough to be included in squad this weekend 👊🏽🟣🔵#avfc #UTV pic.twitter.com/AfRspZpZJQ
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) August 21, 2025
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