Aston Villa are back in action on October 10 - the start of a daunting test for Unai Emery
Unai Emery of Aston Villa shouts instructions to his players
Unai Emery of Aston Villa shouts instructions to his players(Image: Sean Troup/Shutterstock)
Zion Suzuki is a potential superstar, John Manzambi could be one and it’s already looking tough for the Harvey Elliott Award front-runner Alejandro Garnacho. That much we know.
By the time the next international break rolls around, after Aston Villa’s trip to Manchester United on November 8, we’ll have much more insight into how effectively Nicolas Jackson can replace Ollie Watkins and how much the likes of Ibrahim Mbaye and Brian Madjo can be expected to contribute.
One thing we know already is that once the current hiatus ends and the Premier League resumes, Aston Villa are in for a brutal run of nine games in 30 days.
It is hoped the cavalry will have arrived by that time, with injuries to Madjo, Alysson, Marco Bizot and Pau Torres having cleared, even then Unai Emery’s squad can’t afford too many fresh dents.
It’s important the likes of Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash and John McGinn all return from international duty unscathed because the fixture list is daunting as Villa fight on three fronts.
They resume with a match at home to Brentford, fourth-placed Brentford who are yet to lose in the league and who beat Villa twice last season.
Villa host Fenerbahce in the Champions League, three days before they go to Newcastle and a week before they return to European competition to face Viking. Three days after that, unbeaten Manchester City come to Villa Park.
Sandwiched between that appointment with Messrs Maresca, Haaland and Anderson and another home fixture with Fulham is a jaunt to Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.
Emery put out a makeshift team in the last round at Coventry and will simply have no option but to do likewise at the Vitality Stadium. It’s a shame because the League Cup is there for the winning.
FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Get more news and AVFC analysis via our Aston Villa FB page
The frantic month closes with a daunting trip to Barcelona, for a first meeting with the Catalans since 1983. Hansi Flick’s team have won every single game so far. They have scored 37 goals in eight matches. The adventure to Camp Nou is both mouthwatering and fraught with risk.
Thank goodness it’s only Manchester United after that.
Indeed, in sheer terms of squad management, the month is somewhere between exacting and ridiculous. Emery’s embryonic side really have bitten off a lot.
It is some comfort then, that five of those eight matches are at home, indeed Villa’s fixture at Newcastle is the only one on the road for more than the first three weeks. Valuable recovery time will not be spent in the air or on buses.
So while we’ll have more insight into the likes of Jackson, Mbaye and Madjo, we’ll also have a lot more insight into how they are going to cope with the demands of the most testing season of Emery’s tenure.
Aston Villa's upcoming fixtures
Sat, Oct 10 Premier League vs Brentford H
Wed, Oct 14 Champions League vs Fenerbahçe H
Sat, Oct 17 Premier League vs Newcastle United A
Wed, Oct 21 Champions League vs Viking FK H
Sat, Oct 24 Premier League vs Manchester City H
Wed, Oct 28 EFL Cup vs AFC Bournemouth A
Sat, Oct 31 Premier League vs Fulham H
Tue, Nov 3 Champions League vs Barcelona A
Sun, Nov 8 Premier League vs Manchester United A