Aston Villa have ready-made Morgan Rogers replacement after pre-season evidence
Morgan Rogers’ injury against Roma was a hugely unwelcome blow for Aston Villa.
The B6 outfit have been fending off interest in their star man since the start of the summer, and appeared to have emerged unscathed, only for the 23-year-old to be forced off in the recent friendly against Roma.
Rogers was taken off just seven minutes after being introduced by Unai Emery in the 4-0 win against the Serie A giants at Bescot Stadium (6 August), and the exact extent of his injury remains unclear.
It is not thought to be particularly serious. However, with Villa opening their Premier League campaign against Newcastle United at Villa Park in the early kick-off on Saturday (16 August), it would be no surprise if the England star doesn’t make it.
Emi Buendia could star for Aston Villa after impressive pre-season
It has been speculated that Villa could find themselves without Rogers for a few weeks, which would certainly be a frustrating outcome as they bid to get off to a strong start.
However, Emery and Co. are much more capable of dealing with his absence, given the form that Emi Buendia has been in over the last few weeks.
The Argentine was cast aside by the boss last term and loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen. There have been plenty of suggestions that he could be on his way out once again over the last few weeks, but he has proved his worth in pre-season.
- Buendia hit 10 Premier League goal contributions in his first season for Villa, but has struggled since
- He made just 23 league appearances last term, across spells with Villa and Leverkusen
- He has two goals and an assist to his name in pre-season
The 28-year-old was instrumental in that win over Roma, notching both a goal and an assist, and he also found the back of the net against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday (10 August).
Buendia appears to have returned to Villa Park with the bit between his teeth and a point to prove, and supporters could finally be about to see him reach the levels that were expected of him when he first signed from Norwich.
He has turned in some excellent pre-season performances playing both behind Ollie Watkins and on the left flank, and he could be the perfect man for Emery to turn to in place of Rogers for the opening few games.
Buendia could profit from Villa’s tricky summer
Villa have had a tricky summer in the transfer market as a result of their PSR concerns, but that was always likely to create a situation that suited some players who were on the fringes of the squad previously.
Fresh additions have been largely hard to come by, and that has prompted Emery to try and squeeze every last ounce out of the players who are already in the building.
| Stats | First Two Seasons | Last Season |
| Apps | 73 | 12 |
| Goals | 9 | – |
| Assists | 7 | – |
Buendia has returned from his loan and seized the opportunity with both hands so far, and could easily become like a new signing for the Villans.
He was a superb creative outlet for Norwich in the past, and while he has shown glimpses of his ability at Villa Park, strong performances have been too few and far between so far.
However, he now looks rejuvenated and threatening, and he could easily become a surprise star for the Villans this term.
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