There are still two weeks to go until Aston Villa play their next competitive match as the bumper international break rolls on.
Unai Emery is taking the opportunity for some extra time on the grass with Villa’s players who were not called up for international duty, including a training camp in Spain and a friendly versus Sevilla.
This period gives Villa the chance to work on some important tasks before they return to Premier League action which could set them up to continue their recent strong results.
Here are five things Villa need to accomplish before the end of the international break:
Get Taylor Harwood-Bellis up to speed
Harwood-Bellis was one of the final two signings of the summer, joining on deadline day from Southampton, and is being slowly integrated into the first-team set up, appearing in just one match so far when he played the full 90 minutes in Villa’s Carabao Cup victory over Coventry.
Emery asks a lot of his centre-backs both in and out of possession, and perhaps this is the reason Harwood-Bellis – who was left out of Villa’s Champions League squad – is being eased in gently.
This three-week stretch gives Emery the perfect chance to bring Harwood-Bellis up to speed, especially as Victor Lindelof, Villa’s other right-sided centre-back, is away with the Sweden national team.
It could still take a while for Harwood-Bellis to be ready to truly challenge for a starting spot, but this mini-preseason of sorts should help accelerate the process. He has a higher ceiling than Lindelof, so it is in Emery’s best interest to push him as much as possible.
Work on the Boubacar Kamara & Joao Gomes partnership
Central midfield is the only position where Villa have not lost anyone to international duty, and specifically being able to keep Kamara and Gomes around will be very beneficial as they continue to develop chemistry in a crucial part of Emery’s system.
Kamara started preseason late as he ramped back up from the knee injury he suffered last season, limiting the number of minutes the pair were able to play together. Gomes picking up an injury of his own and then getting sent off on his debut did not help, either.
Now the pair have extended time to build a relationship on the pitch, and for Emery to see how they work together, giving him the ability to assess their strengths and weaknesses as a duo and how he may need to adjust the rest of the team accordingly.
Build Alejandro Garnacho’s confidence
For any fans who were concerned whether Garnacho would work at Villa, the early stages of his time at the club will not have eased any of those worries as he has hardly played and has done precious little to convince anyone this will be a successful transfer.
As we have seen countless times, it is not always easy to adjust to Emery’s way, and it takes some players longer than others. This break will be a crucial period for Garnacho to show he is getting the hang of things and for the coaching staff to build up his confidence.
He is off to a good start in that regard, scoring Villa’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Southampton in a behind-closed-doors friendly. There is no shortage of competition for places in Villa’s forward line, so Garnacho needs to start making an impression.
Get players fit
It has been a hard enough start to the season for Villa with having to bed so many new players in, without the extra complication of injuries, which they have had plenty of already.
Some of them are longer-term, as Ian Maatsen will probably not be back for a few weeks yet and Amadou Onana is out for the season, but there should be some players coming back in short order who could provide Villa with a boost.
Assuming Pau Torres’ hamstring injury is not severe, one would imagine he will be back in the fold by the time the international break is over.
Leon Goretzka’s timetable for return has not been clarified, but when announcing his injury on social media he seemed to imply he could be back after the break, and Brian Madjo is reportedly set to begin training with the group again during Villa’s training camp.
Getting those three back in the mix should boost not only the starting lineup but the depth of the squad ahead of a hectic fixture schedule to come.
Prepare for Brentford
Those fixtures begin with a tough test at home to Brentford, who are 4th in the early Premier League table. They have not lost a game and always seem to provide a tough test for Villa whether it is at home or away.
Emery has won one, drawn one and lost one in home matchups with Brentford. He lost to Keith Andrews’ side last season despite the visitors being down to ten men. Two years ago, Villa threw away a 2-0 lead and ended up having to salvage a 3-3 draw after falling behind.
Villa have lost both games at their under-construction home stadium so far this season, so it is imperative they turn the home form around quickly, as it has been a pillar of their success under Emery previously.
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