Evann Guessand missing – Aston Villa squad spotted ahead of Marseille clash
Aston Villa signing Evann Guessand looks set to miss out against Marseille.
Guessand was signed from OGC Nice for an initial fee of £26million, which could rise to £30m if add-ons are met.
Villa supporters and former star Jonathan Kodjia would have been hoping to see their new man in action against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday (9 August), but it appears that they will not get the chance.
Villa squad spotted in France, but several players missing
Emery‘s squad have been spotted ahead of the contest with the Ligue 1 outfit.
There were several notable omissions in the footage, including Emi Martinez, Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, Youri Tielemans and Guessand.
- Spotted Villa squad: Leon Bailey, Alex Moreno, Lewis Dobbin, Yeimar Mosquera, Marco Bizot, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Pau Torres, Emi Buendia, Donyell Malen, Ian Maatsen, George Hemmings, Triston Rowe, Lucas Digne, Boubacar Kamara, Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Ollie Watkins
The Villa Park faithful will be excited to get another glimpse of youth prospects Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Yeimar Mosquera, and George Hemmings, who were with the team.
New signing Marco Bizot will also be keen to impress, as he looks set to battle with Martinez for the number one jersey.
Guessand may play against Villarreal instead
Villa fans may not have to wait too long to see their new forward in action, as he may play in the clash with Villarreal (10 August).
The Frenchman is an exciting addition, having notched 12 goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 last season, and it is surely only a matter of time before he makes his Villa debut.
It seems as though Emery has split the squad, which makes sense considering the risk of injury if a player played in both matches.
The Villans cannot afford any injuries with the Premier League campaign just a week away, so the move is a clever one.
Emery’s side have a great chance to build momentum in the opening few weeks as they try to secure a return to the UEFA Champions League.
Aston Villa have been handed the easiest fixtures to start to campaign, ranked by opponent difficulty, according to Opta.
If they can get a good start, it should bolster their chances of getting back among Europe’s elite and impress, like they did last season.
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