Ross Barkley set for ‘opportunity’ to prove he can take over from Amadou Onana at Aston Villa
Bryan King claims Ross Barkley will have the “opportunity” to prove he can take over from Amadou Onana in the Aston Villa midfield.
The ex-Villa scout has been impressed by the 30-year-old’s cameo appearances this season.
Barkley is likely to get an extended run in the Villa team after it was reported that Onana had suffered “a small muscle tear in the foot” and could be out for a few weeks (via Sacha Tavolieri, 16 November).
And King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – has urged Barkley to leave his mark over the coming weeks.
“Barkley is a good player,” King said.
“Ever since he left Everton he’s been in and out of teams, Chelsea being one. He seemed to establish himself at Luton Town, now he has come to Villa and his performances have been fairly good when he’s played.
“This will certainly be an opportunity for the manager and player to see whether he is capable of taking over from Onana, who has been a major plus for Villa this season. I know clubs don’t like it when players come back from international duty and are injured.
“Any Premier League game for Barkley will be a chance to make his mark.
“What Barkley has got to be thinking is that when he does play, he wants to make it as hard as possible for Onana to get back in the team. He has a chance to step up and do that now.”
Ross Barkley to take over from Amadou Onana at Aston Villa?
Losing Onana to injury is no doubt a big blow for Unai Emery, especially as that isn’t the Spaniard’s only fresh injury concern. However, Villa haven’t been at their best in recent weeks, without a win in five matches.
Therefore, shaking things up in midfield could prove beneficial, albeit through an enforced change.
Barkley shouldn’t view these next few matches as a chance to play while Onana is unavailable. Instead, the midfielder must use these matches as a chance to prove to Emery that he should be starting ahead of Onana, even when the Belgian is fit.
Barkley has often replaced Onana in matches this season. However, this is now a chance for him to demonstrate that he should be replacing the 23-year-old in the starting lineup.
In other Aston Villa news, a Boubacar Kamara injury update has emerged.
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