Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was happy with Jadon Sancho and Douglas Luiz's performances in the draw at Bournemouth
Jadon Sancho of Aston Villa
Jadon Sancho of Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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Unai Emery is hopeful that Jadon Sancho and Douglas Luiz can rediscover their best form for Aston Villa in the final months of the season.
Both players started in the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, with Sancho assisting Morgan Rogers’ opener in the 22nd minute.
Luiz, meanwhile, has made consecutive starts for the club after rejoining on loan from Juventus last month.
The Brazilian has a key role to play in the next two months of Villa’s campaign, as Youri Tielemans is sidelined, possibly until after the March international break.
John McGinn is also out for around four more weeks, while Boubacar Kamara is out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.
“Douglas Luiz, Onana, Barkley, and Bogarde have a huge responsibility to replace the injured players - McGinn, Tielemans and Kamara,” Emery explained.
“Those three are here for a long time and were performing here in high demands being successful.
“Now Onana must be consistent, trying to avoid injuries. He played a fantastic match. We needed him from defensive set-pieces.
“After one year and a half away from here, Luiz is needed, to recover him doing the tasks in our demands. He improved from the first match, but there is still work to do to get his best.
“Barkley is a fantastic player and he is getting fit again. He is getting confidence and will be important for us. Bogarde is always versatile and helps us. To replace the players we had before, it is very important.”
Speaking about Sancho, Emery said: “Hopefully he is getting better and he can help us in this process like he is, getting better. I expect more from him and because I am positive, hopefully he will give us it.”
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