Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as the club prepares to submit their 25-man squad with deadline day fast approaching
Aston Villa will submit their 2023/24 squad lists next month after the closure of the summer 2023 transfer window.
Villa will add new signings Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo to their roster. Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia will also be involved despite being ruled out for extended periods of time with serious knee injuries.
Each squad must contain no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the “Home Grown Player” (HGP) criteria. The rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be “Home Grown”. A “Home-Grown Player” means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons before his 21st birthday.
Each club squad list will be submitted alongside an additional list of each club’s registered Under-21 players who are eligible over and above the squad limit of 25 players. For the 2023/24 campaign, Under-21 players will have been born on or after 1 January 2002.
Goalkeepers
Emi Martinez is the club’s number one, and will be named alongside Robin Olsen. The Sweden international could be called on in cup competitions, but Martinez is one of, if not the first name on Unai Emery’s team sheet for Premier League matches.
Emery previously said that he likes the third goalkeeper in his squad to be a younger player, and Filip Marschall has been used the most in pre-season. He is unlikely to be named in the club’s 25-man squad while he qualifies as an Under-21.
Defenders
Emery has made tactical tweaks to how his backline functions in and out of possession this season. He recruited Pau Torres to help his side progress the ball through the thirds, and the Spaniard plays a key role in the XI.
Villa lost Mings through injury on the opening weekend of the season against Newcastle, and Emery has revealed he doesn’t intend on replacing the centre-back in the final days of the window. Diego Carlos – who missed nine months of action because of an Achilles injury last term – will step up in Mings’ absence.
Matty Cash is the only recognised right-back in the Villa squad, but Ezri Konsa can operate from that position while Emery likes to play three centre-backs to build-up in possession. At left-back, Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne are set to compete for minutes again.
Midfield
Villa added Tielemans to their squad earlier this summer, and he’s competing for game time with Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara. He’s yet to start a league game for Villa since joining the club, but he’ll contribute as the campaign unfolds.
Leander Dendoncker missed the whole of pre-season, but is expected to return to training this week. Meanwhile, Tim Iroegbunam qualifies as an Under-21, but suffered a back injury in the club’s first summer friendly with Walsall, and has been unavailable ever since.
Leon Bailey has played off the right in his first three appearances of the season in all competitions, while John McGinn has operated from the left. Buendia is currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme after suffering a serious knee injury in training at the start of the month.
Philippe Coutinho is of interest to Qatari side Al Duhail, and could leave Villa before Friday’s deadline.
Forwards
Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran (U21) are the only recognised strikers in the Villa squad, but Moussa Diaby has impressed as a support act in his fist four appearances for the club since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
Bertrand Traroe could also be called on to play as a second striker, while Nicolo Zaniolo was recruited for his versatility across the forward line. Villa remain in the market for another forward given that the club could play in excess of 50 games this season if they go far in the cup competitions.
How the squads could look
Villa do not need to submit 25 players in their senior squad, but they can not list more than 17 players who are not classed as “home grown”.
Potential 25-man squad: Martinez*, Olsen, Cash*, Carlos, Konsa*, Mings*, Digne, Torres, Moreno, Chambers*, Luiz, McGinn, Tielemans, Traore, Buendia, Diaby, Zaniolo, Bailey, Dendoncker, Ramsey*, Kamara, Watkins*.
* Home Grown players
U21 players (Contract and Scholars): Filip Marschall, James Wright, Sam Proctor, Sam Lewis, Oliwier Zych, Alex Hammond, Ben Chrisene, Frankie Ealing, Josh Feeney, Finley Munroe, Archie Duerden, Jayden Barber, Aaron O’Reilly, Max Asante-Boakye, Nile Timson, Abube Onuchukwu, Jack McDowell, Harvey Rhoades, Seb Revan, Thierry Katsukunya, Ashton McWilliams, Kerr Smith, Sil Swinkels, Triston Rowe, Chisom Afoka, I-Lani Edwards, Tim Iroegbun, Todd Alcock, Dylan Mitchell, Mikell Barnes, Ewan Simpson, Trai-Varn Mulley Ajani Burchall, Taylor-Jay Hart, Max Lott, Omari Kellyman, Tommi O’Reilly, Kyrie Pierre, Rico Richards, Ben Broggio, Teddy Rowe, Kadan Young, Charlie Pavey, Caleb Chukwuemeka, Charlie Lutz, Kobie Moore, Travis Patterson, Jhon Duran, Rory Wilson.
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