Aston Villa: First-team door may be shut for Omari Kellyman amid Europa Conference League news
Aston Villa are enjoying one of their best seasons in recent memory under Unai Emery as they continue to impress supporters and pundits alike with their performances in the Premier League.
The Spaniard’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League and are in contention for a place in next season’s Champions League, a hugely impressive feat for a club that were only recently fighting against relegation.
However, other than in the Europa Conference League, Villa have struggled outside of the Premier League this term, having already been knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in the early stages of the competition.
That has meant that Emery has only really been able to tinker with his squad and give young players valuable first-team minutes in Villa’s European fixtures, with the likes of Omari Kellyman and Sebastian Revan featuring in early wins over Hibernian.
Will Omari Kellyman get more minutes for Aston Villa in 2023/24?
Kellyman, an 18-year-old attacker whom Emery brought on Villa’s pre-season trip to the US, seemed destined for more first-team minutes in the second half of the season, having been named on the bench for the FA Cup replay against Chelsea.
However, Emery may find it hard to name any unknown stars in his starting XI in the next round of the Europa Conference League, after his side were picked against Dutch giants Ajax in Friday (23 February) morning’s draw.
Ajax are enjoying one of their worst seasons in recent memory as they currently sit fifth in the Eredivisie, but their status as a European heavyweight means that Emery and Villa will have to take them very seriously and name a strong side to book their place in the next round.
When Emery’s side have needed a result in Europe this season, the Villa boss has not been afraid to name his strongest side to ensure that they get over the line. However, that could close the first-team door to Kellyman, for this season at least.
The 18-year-old might be named on the bench for the clash and perhaps a few more matches in the Premier League this term, but it seems as though he and a few of his teammates may need to impress in pre-season and fight for a first-team place next year instead.
In other Aston Villa news, teams are already said to be “sniffing around” Ollie Watkins ahead of a potential summer transfer
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