Youri Tielemans Aston Villa injury return could spark Douglas Luiz back into form
Ty Bracey has suggested Youri Tielemans returning to the Aston Villa side could benefit Douglas Luiz who has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
As well as Emi Martinez, the Belgian went off against Chelsea and those circumstances have led to a poor run of form for the Villans.
Defeats to Olympiacos and Brighton have left a sour taste in Villa fans’ mouths who have been left far from impressed by performances.
Luiz has been a standout performer but has struggled recently, Bracey believes Tielemans can help unlock the Brazilian in the midfield.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bracey said: “[Tielemans has] been class in the middle. It has been quite clear that he hasn’t been playing, he creates a lot and he works hard. He’s an important member of the squad.
“If we can get him back, if he’s on the radar to come back for Monday (Aston Villa versus Liverpool, 13 May), I’ll be chuffed.
“I think it’ll help Luiz, they’re both progressive ball carriers and they complement each other when they play. I think it’s really important that we get those two on the pitch together. Fingers crossed.”
How has Douglas Luiz performed for Aston Villa recently?
The missed penalty was just the tip of the iceberg on the day that summed up his performance against Olympiacos at Villa Park.
On the day he had many poor touches, multiple shots going wide and also gave away a penalty with a crazy handball inside the area.
His passing was top quality as always as he kept a 96 per cent pass accuracy [FotMob] but this is where the positivity ended.
Luiz won just 25 per cent of tackles, had a 33 per cent shot accuracy while failing to complete a single dribble across 90 minutes.
This performance was followed similarly by a poor showing against Brighton away from home.
The Brazilian failed to complete a cross or long pass while losing 60 per cent of his ground duels. Although he did win both of his attempted tackles on the day [FotMob].
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