Aston Villa's Leon Bailey
Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey
Leon Bailey spent the first half of this season away from Aston Villa at AS Roma. Now the winger has once again become an important player for Unai Emery’s side.
The Jamaican was loaned out to AS Roma, where his arrival was celebrated. However, in his very first training session, he picked up a muscle injury.
Things continued going downhill. He sustained three more muscle injuries, managing to play only 181 minutes in Serie A.
Sport Witness covered question marks about the winger’s attitude, as Roma grew frustrated about the player. They weren’t really sure about his never-ending muscle problems, as he failed to play more than 30 minutes even in the Europa League.
Now, there is some surprise in Roma about how things have turned around for him at Aston Villa, where he’s played over 300 minutes in the Premier League.
Upturn seen as a miracle
Today’s Corriere dello Sport states Leon Bailey’s situation is ‘nothing short of miraculous’. They go on to suggest that something simply isn’t right about the Jamaica international, throwing shade at his attitude in Rome.
Corriere struggle to explain the nature of his season, especially since Bailey’s fitness at Aston Villa seems fine.
Surprise in Italy over Leon Bailey impact back at Aston Villa
Surprise in Italy over Leon Bailey impact back at Aston Villa
There is also a hint of mockery, with the newspaper pointing out the 28-year-old’s first injury at Roma came after he merely kicked a ball and hadn’t even put in a sprint.
Further, they feel Bailey ‘threw in the towel’ towards the end of his time in Rome. That is when he had specifically requested to come off in a big game against Juventus. This proved to be the final straw.
Our take: Bailey was never a Gasperini player
In Leon Bailey’s defence, his injuries at Roma did hold him back. But Gian Piero Gasperini’s system isn’t for everyone.
Multiple players have come and gone who have struggled with the physical demands. It requires every player to be constantly pressing their man, covering distance and operating high up the pitch.
That is quite difficult to do for a player who operates in a more pragmatic setup at Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s system relies on transitional moments, which is often the nature of the Premier League right now.
Considering that, the attacker’s situation is not a surprise. He started against Chelsea and Leeds United and he should be more involved soon.
🇧🇪 Amadou Onana | “I’m not a doctor, but…”
🔜 Aston Villa star suggests teammate back soon
⭐️ Knows how important Tielemans is for #AVFC https://t.co/sxxLYlDc04
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 19, 2026