The international break gives Aston Villa some much-needed time off from matches as they are set to compete in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League play. Recent performances of Unai Emery's players have earned some a call-up for their home countries.
With three competitions to prepare for and plenty of bodies left with club responsibilities, the Spanish manager is using this time. Those left in Birmingham aren't staying for long, as Villa are going to Dubai for a short midseason training camp.
By the time AVFC travel to face Preston North End, it will have been 18 days since their last fixture. Those spending time with their national teams do not need to worry about staying sharp. Even if the respective coaches elect not to give the Villa athletes time on the pitch, they will be part of the training preparations.
Those remaining in Birmingham will now have a strong team bonding event to mimic a similar feel, also meant to maintain performance at this time of the year. Emery, furthermore, will have plenty of aspects that he will want to work on. While the likes of Leon Bailey, Matty Cash, John McGinn, and Marcus Rashford are out on international duty, the Villa boss will have plenty to train with.
Going somewhere outside of the regular Bodymoor Heath training grounds gives a good change of pace. Traveling abroad also serves as a way for all focus to be on the particular points of emphasis of Emery while eliminating anything possibly distracting from soccer.
The manager has brought a healthy mixture of senior and U21 players. Tyrone Mings, Amadou Onana, and Marco Asensio are among some of the members who made the trek to the UAE. They were seen taking part in exercises early Tuesday morning in social media posts released by the club account.
Notable unknown status for Aston Villa fans
Ollie Watkins has not been seen with the team, and some speculate that he did in fact make the cross-continental trip. Due to his recovery from injury, however, he was left out of the first Thomas Tuchel selections. The exact extent of his potential timetable to return is unknown at this point.
It is safe to say that if the forward is in Dubai, his focus is on rehabilitation. Either way, Emery may elect to give Watkins time to recover until after their upcoming FA Cup match. Aston Villa has a chance to win trophies, and they'll need the forward as close to full health as possible for the remainder of the season.
The boss would love for his leading goal scorer to be part of the first team activities in the UAE, but Watkins would be part of the English side if he were fit anyway. Emery will make do with the currently available players and look to make a final push to finish the 2024-2025 campaign.