Unai Emery makes Aston Villa squad point ahead of Brighton test
Unai Emery believes Villa are in the strongest position possible to cope with their hectic season run-in and has told every player they must be ready to play their part.
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Villa have already clocked up 45 matches this season and will play a minimum of 12 more as they fight on three fronts over the final weeks.
But Emery sees the schedule as a sign of the club’s success and thinks it is something to relish, with his squad almost back to full fitness.
Leon Bailey is the only player missing for Wednesday’s trip to Brighton, with Ross Barkley having now returned to training.
Emery said: “Always we are preparing the squad with two players for every position.
“Now we have 21. Only for tomorrow is Leon Bailey not available. Of course, we can achieve our objective when players can sub for injured players, or when players are getting tired.
“We were talking in the dressing room in different matches in the season when we were winning and could not keep the same energy and structure tactically to save three points.
“We lost at home, more or less, six or eight points because we could not keep 90 minutes strong.
“Now we can have players in the starting XI and players coming on and keeping the same tactical demand, the same structure we need.”
Villa played 56 matches last season in reaching the Europa Conference League semi-finals and are already guaranteed to top that figure.
Emery continued: “I am happy because we are playing a lot of matches. We can add games that players had with their national teams too.
“It might mean we are playing Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday. Of course, if we can have four days of rest it is better than three, but it is not an excuse.”
