Unai Emery assessed the state of his squad as Aston Villa face **Bournemouth**this weekend.
The Villans have welcomed three former players into their ranks through the transfer window while also benefitting from the presence of Amadou Onana in the middle of the park. Even though the team must deal with several significant absences, Emery has confidence that his camp can deliver.
“We joined some players like we needed, and some players left for different circumstances, but when I am seeing the squad, I can watch. We have good players to keep being demanding, and to keep being consistent like we were before the transfer window, with the players we joined.
“I prefer to play a lot of matches, but when we can have some weeks free to work or recover some players after they are being injured, the circumstance makes sense if we want to get some days to work and be free for matches.
*“We are trying to set our new players. Of course, Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz are easier, but they need, again, to adapt quick in the demands we have. Tammy Abraham, of course, he needs to adapt again, or quick here, Birmingham, this training ground, but how we are setting our standards.”*
“Last year, this year, [Amadou] is sometimes having a small injury. They are not long injuries, but small injuries – two, three, four weeks – and not being consistent and available to play matches.
“But of course, he’s very important, and his potential is still there. When he’s playing ready and 100%, his performances are being fantastic, and I think progressing a lot in one year and a half.
“I think the last matches playing, he was really playing fantastic, but the challenge he has, the challenge I have with him, is to be consistent playing in a row matches and not getting injured.
“But as well, I must be intelligent with him, to try to identify when he can have some risk with the doctors, to play some matches in a row. This is the challenge we have.”