Unai Emery must risk Youri Tielemans v Liverpool as new Aston Villa injury update emerges
Aston Villa will be eager to get back to winning ways and take a huge step towards the Champions League when they face Liverpool at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s side will welcome the Reds to Villa Park on Monday (13 May) as they look to bounce back from their disappointing Europa Conference League exit at the hands of Olympiacos last time out.
While it won’t be easy against Jurgen Klopp’s side, Emery will be confident that his team will have enough quality to get the job done, especially after a new update emerged around Youri Tielemans.
As quoted by the Villa website on Sunday (12 May) Emery said: “Tielemans is close; Álex Moreno has a small injury and he needs some days, maybe he could be available.”
Will Youri Tielemans play for Aston Villa v Liverpool at Anfield?
One of Tielemans’ first appearances in an Aston Villa shirt came away at Anfield earlier this season and while the Belgian was only a second-half substitute, he managed to have a really positive impact in defeat.
The former Leicester City man completed 90 per cent of his attempted passes, one of which found a teammate in the final third as Emery’s side looked to claw their way back into the game at 3-0 down, according to Fotmob.
On top of that, the 27-year-old completed 100 per cent of his attempted dribbles and only lost possession once as he managed to keep the ball moving in the middle of the park.
Without the ball, Tielemans was just as effective winning 75 per cent of his four ground duels and winning a single free kick as he used his body well. It may have only been a cameo, but it showed his quality in and out of possession.
In Villa’s win over Manchester City at Villa Park, the midfielder was just as crucial. Not only did he manage to pick up the assist for John McGinn’s winner, but he also played a further five passes into the final third.
The Belgian international completed 100 per cent of his two attempted dribbles and registered an impressive five touches in the City box to help the Villans pick up a historic win over the Premier League champions.
Out of possession Tielemans won 100 per cent of his aerial battles and competed in a remarkable six ground duels as he helped keep the likes of Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez quiet at Villa Park.
While Douglas Luiz and McGinn have been in excellent form this term, the 27-year-old steps up against the Premier League’s big six whenever he plays. In the win over Arsenal, he claimed an assist and completed 88 per cent of his passes.
The midfielder is capable of fashioning a scoring chance from absolutely nothing and when compared to other midfielders in the Premier League this season, he sits in the top three per cent of players for assists per 90 minutes, according to Fbref.
His connection with Ollie Watkins helps to unlock defences as well as he often looks for through balls in behind a backline for the England international to chase. In fact, he sits in the 87th percentile of his peers for progressive passes made per game, with an average of 7.28.
Will Villa and Unai Emery qualify for the Champions League this season?
While Emery has insisted he will only start players when they are 100 per cent fit, the Villa boss simply has to risk starting Tielemans on Monday night because he can be the difference-maker against these sides.
Whether that sees him play in a deeper role alongside Luiz or in an advanced position ahead of the Brazilian, Villa will have a much better chance of claiming all three points and finishing in the top four if the Belgian plays.
In other Aston Villa news, Villa are ready to spend in the summer transfer window after agreeing a club-record sponsorship deal
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