Villa ace Johan Manzambi has promised the bully boys won’t knock him off his game.
The £51million summer signing has been receiving rave reviews for his performances during the international break for Switzerland.
But the 20-year-old, who has only recently returned from a knee injury, has also become a target for frustrated opponents.
The rough treatment he received in Saturday’s win over Slovenia prompted Swiss boss Murat Yakin to call for more protection from referees.
But Manzambi himself is unflustered and says winning fouls is simply part of his game.
“I am a player who wins a lot of fouls,” he said. “But to some extent, that is also one of my qualities.
“The important thing is that I do not let it make me nervous and that I simply continue playing my game.”
Manzambi scored his first goal for Villa in his first Premier League start at Tottenham in the final match before the three-week international break.
The former Freiburg man has played in all three of Switzerland’s Nations League matches to date and should feature again when they host North Macedonia on Tuesday.
Villa are back in action when they host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
Boss Unai Emery has been critical of what he described as a “crazy” three-week international break so early in the season.
Manzambi was one of 10 new signings for Villa over the course of a hectic summer window and Emery