Aston Villa: Unai Emery handed boost to Champions League hopes as Jacob Ramsey update emerges
Aston Villa will be desperate to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Wolves following a strong international break for several stars in Unai Emery’s squad.
The likes of Ollie Watkins, Nicolo Zaniolo and Douglas Luiz have all shone in friendlies ahead of Euro 2024 and the Copa America, but now attentions turn back to the race for the top four and Champions League football.
Villa are almost in a straight shootout with Tottenham for the final place behind Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool and Emery will need a number of his best players fit and Birmingham Live’s John Towley has shared a new update around Jacob Ramsey.
Writing on X on Thursday (28 March) he said: “A timely boost for Aston Villa as Jacob Ramsey returns to training at Bodymoor Heath ahead of a busy month of fixtures, starting with Wolves on Saturday.
“Unai Emery will speak to the media on Friday afternoon.”
Will Jacob Ramsey be fit to start for Aston Villa against Wolves?
Ramsey’s last full game in the Premier League came against Nottingham Forest on 24 February and the midfielder impressed as the Villans ran out 4-2 winners with one of their best attacking performances of the season.
No player on either side created more chances than the 22-year-old’s three goalscoring opportunities and Ramsey even picked up the assist for Luiz’s first strike of the game midway through the first half, according to Fotmob.
The England youth international completed 88 per cent of his 40 attempted passes, five of which found a teammate in claret and blue in the final third as Emery’s side repeatedly cut through the Forest backline with ease.
On top of that, Ramsey completed 100 per cent of his attempted dribbles, registered seven touches in the opposition’s box and was only dispossessed once in 90 minutes of action.
Defensively, the 22-year-old is incredibly crucial to how Emery’s side defends from the front and against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, he entered eight ground duels and a single tackle as he attempted to break up play and support Alex Moreno.
When compared to other attacking midfielders in the Premier League, Ramsey places in the 71st percentile for tackles attempted per 90 minutes and the 87th for shots blocked per game, with an average of 0.21, according to Fbref.
His creative side in possession is also key to how Villa attack as the midfielder plays more passes into the final third than 73 per cent of his positional peers in the Premier League with an average of 2.32 every 90 minutes.
Without Ramsey, Villa have failed to win either of their two matches in the Premier League and have only won one of their four matches played in all competitions so Emery will hope the 22-year-old’s rerun will help his side get back to winning ways.
Will Unai Emery help Villa qualify for the Champions League this season?
While Villa have been hit by another injury blow after it was revealed Matty Cash faces a few weeks on the sidelines having picked up an injury on international duty, Ramsey’s return is a massive boost in the hunt for the Champions League.
The wide midfielder has been plagued with fitness issues since the start of the campaign but has looked bright whenever fit. Emery and Villa supporters will now just be hoping he can get through the remainder of the campaign unscathed.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery will have been left furious by what Leon Bailey did during the March international break
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