Unai Emery anticipates Aston Villa's teenage forward Brian Madjo will resume full training in the international break. The head coach stated the young player is currently training individually but will rejoin the main group in the coming weeks.
"In this break, he is going to start training with us collectively," Emery said. This development is encouraging for a footballer whose initial period with the team has faced significant setbacks. Madjo joined from Metz in January, but his registration was at first denied by FIFA due to his age and international transfer status. The club's subsequent appeal was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport later in the year, allowing him to participate.
His progress was then interrupted by an injury picked up after he found the net in the Super Cup final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. He has not yet played in the Premier League for the team. Emery intends to utilize the break to help new signings and sidelined players, with a private match against Southampton planned for next Friday at their training ground ahead of a camp in Spain. The coach is eager to include Madjo in his strategy.
The team is set to play a friendly against Emery's old side Sevilla. Although he values the time with his squad, the manager expressed frustration with the duration of the interval. "This break is crazy because it’s three weeks," Emery remarked, noting his dislike for such a long spell without a game but acknowledging its inevitability. He emphasized that Villa will not let the pause hinder them and will concentrate on readying themselves for future matches.
On a more positive note, Matty Cash and Joao Gomes are likely to return from their fitness issues. Conversely, Marco Bizot, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen, Modou Keba Cisse, and Leon Goretzka are still unavailable. Johan Manzambi, who appeared in the opening two games and scored in the victory over Tottenham, will play once more before departing for international service.
This story first appeared at The Athletic
