Pundit shares ‘confident’ Morgan Rogers team news prediction ahead of Aston Villa v Man Utd
Morgan Rogers will have to “fight” his way into Unai Emery’s starting XI at Aston Villa and is unlikely to start their clash with Manchester United on Sunday (11 February), according to Alan Hutton.
Rogers was Unai Emery’s biggest addition during the January transfer window, joining for an initial £8million from Middlesbrough after an impressive start to the Championship season, which saw him pick up two goals and six assists.
The 21-year-old made his first appearance in claret and blue in Villa’s 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last time out in the Premier League, replacing Youri Tielemans in the final moments of the match for a brief cameo from the substitutes bench.
After a disappointing midweek defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup, some Aston Villa supporters are hoping to see Rogers handed his first start against Manchester United, but Hutton thinks Emery’s new recruit will have to prove himself from the bench.
“I think it will take time,” Hutton told Villa News.
“He’s one of those players that they’ve brought in and he’s young, he’s done really well in the Championship with Middlesbrough. He’s coming into a team that are confident and doing well, so he’s going to have to fight his way into the team.
“He can do that by showing the manager when he gets these cameo roles, that he is capable. I think he is, I don’t think that he will start against Manchester United.
“But if he can go and show something in the minutes that he gets and then work his way in, that is the way for him to move forward.”
Morgan Rogers fighting for Aston Villa start v Manchester United
Aston Villa have impressed pundits and fans alike so far this season, particularly in the forward areas, with performances from the likes of Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins stealing most of the plaudits week in and week out.
That has meant that marquee signings like Moussa Diaby have been limited to supporting roles from the bench and in the early stages of his Aston Villa career, Rogers may have to settle for a similar fate and impresses in cameos from the bench.
Emery may throw a spanner in the works against United on Sunday, but at the moment, it seems more likely the January recruit will have to impact proceedings late on in the clash.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has shared his verdict on reports surrounding Leon Bailey’s contract extension at Villa Park
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