Injury setbacks are an unfortunate aspect of the sport. While Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers will be sidelined for the immediate future, this provides an opportunity for others to step up and fill the void left by the England international's absence.
Someone who could now see increased looks in the final third and more touches is Emiliano Buendía. Already, the Argentine is looking vastly improved.
Throughout the U.S. tour, the Villa attacker showed an excellent ability to contribute to Villa when going forward. He also offers a lot of versatility and can play in several positions. Whether as a striker, center-forward, or attacking midfielder, Buendía continues to have a positive influence on the pitch for Unai Emery.
Buendía's latest actions saw him cap off what has been, to this point, a good preseason campaign so far with a spectacular goal from a set piece.
Now, without Rogers, Villa will need Buendía and others to continue to make plays, mitigating the loss of Rogers for the time being. This is why it is immensely critical for Villa, as is the case with any club, to have depth. Injuries can happen at any time. Emery having the ability to turn to several highly talented players on the roster speaks to the work he and Monchi have done in building out this Villa squad.
Securing a position at Aston Villa
Buendía is someone who appeared to not be able to necessarily find a place at the club. He is now making a great case for himself and showing improvement and the ability to help the side.
Granted, too many players missing time will, of course, cause issues. This is also true for any club, however. For now, Buendía is shining bright in his already elevated role. The 28-year-old will now have the chance to further prove himself and give Villa a needed boost in the attack, particularly with Rogers slated to miss time until at least the end of the preseason.