Anthony Onifade

Tue 4 July 2023 17:10, UK

Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey may not be fit in time for the start of pre-season after suffering an ankle injury, handing former Norwich City man Emi Buendia the chance to stake his claim to Unai Emery.

Ramsey has proven a standout performer during the England Under-21’s European Championship march to Wednesday’s semi-final against Israel [5 July], playing in all four games so far, registering one goal and an assist.

However, the Villa Park maestro hobbled out of Sunday night’s 1-0 victory over Portugal with an ankle injury after a nasty tackle which left him on crutches.

And according to the Daily Mail newspaper [4 July, page 59], Ramsey looks set to miss the rest of England’s push for European glory.

Manager Lee Carsley said that Ramsey had severe numbness in his foot and ankle, with England not looking to provide him with injections for fear of exacerbating a problem.

However, given the long-term effects of an ankle injury, it certainly doesn’t look promising that Ramsey will be available for the timeframe he’s been expected to return for Aston Villa’s pre-season plans.

And it may mean Unai Emery significantly has to alter his approach this summer and provide another player with the chance to impress before the new season kicks off against Newcastle United on August 12. And that man is the £30m-plus Argentinian maestro Buendia.

The Argentinian scored five league goals and provided two assists as he featured in various positions across Villa’s midfield and forward line – which certainly represents a stellar campaign in Villans colours but on numerous occasions towards the end of last season, Buendia was guilty of some inconsistencies.

Despite his seven-goal involvements in the Premier League, a deeper dive into the stats reveals that the Villa number ten could be doing more.

As per stats provided by FBREF, Buendia only completed 1.01 take-ons per 90 during the Premier League which puts him in just the 23rd percentile of midfielders in the league.

As well as this, he made just 2.24 progressive carries per 90 in the league, putting him in the 28th percentile for midfielders.

None of those numbers proves even close to Jacob Ramsey, who is excelling in his progressive ball-carrying, ranking in the 94th percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and in the 70th percentile for successful take-ons per 90, according to FBRef.

The 22-year-old midfield gem is also excelling in his rising goal contributions also, sitting in the top 20% of his counterparts for goals (0.21 per 90) and assists (0.18 per 90) as well as non-penalty goals making him an undisputed and guaranteed starter in Emery’s system.

However, with Ramsey’s new injury blow, Buendia has been handed the chance to prove his worth to Emery once again, and the tactical freedom offered to the Villa Park academy product, Buendia has indeed shown he can thrive within before.

In terms of his final third influence this season, the 26-year-old playmaker has grabbed all the headlines and the stats have proved as much. Buendia ranked third in the Villa team for key passes (41), second for shot-creating actions (90), and fourth for goal-creating actions (10), as per FBRef last season, showcasing his tremendous exploits when trying to create chances for his teammates.

He also ranks in the 93rd percentile of forwards in Europe’s top-five leagues for through balls per 90 [FBRef], and in fact provided considerably more of those than any of his Villa teammates [WhoScored], proving just how crucial he is and will continue to be in the final third.

And with the added progressive sprinkle dust of new signing Youri Tielemans for the new campaign, Buendia simply has no excuses to prove he can arguably usurp Ramsey in Emery’s plans even before he returns.

The ball is certainly in his court this summer.

In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.