Unai Emery must trust on Lamare Bogarde vs Crystal Palace as new injury strikes Aston Villa
Aston Villa have to show faith in Lamare Bogarde against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Villa are preparing to face Crystal Palace on 31 August in a highly controversial 7pm kick-off at Villa Park.
This will see Unai Emery have a selection dilemma against the Eagles, especially after Palace smashed Villa 3-0 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final the last time these sides met.
Decisions will likely centre around an alternative option for Boubacar Kamara after the Frenchman was taken off against Brentford through injury.
The Villans haven’t been helped since that moment, with a new injury concern elsewhere in the squad likely to see Bogarde receive a casting call in B6.
Lamare Bogarde has to start vs Crystal Palace
Bogarde surprisingly started for Villa against Leicester City last season, and could be set for yet another start early in the new campaign.
This could see Emery utilise the versatility of the Dutchman at the base of midfield to help combat fitness troubles in the Midlands.
This comes after Jacob Tanswell reported on 29 August that Amadou Onana has sustained a hamstring injury and will be out for upwards of two weeks as a result.
With Kamara also out, there is a huge gap in the middle of the park for Villa after what has already been a frustrating start to the Premier League season.
This could prove to be the perfect moment for Bogarde to come in and showcase exactly what he can add to the claret and blue outfit when given the chance.
| Stat per 90 (Premier League 24/25) | Lamare Bogarde |
| Accurate passes | 42.25 |
| Tackles won | 1.14 |
| Ground duels won | 6.25 |
| Aerial duels won | 1.14 |
| Blocks | 0.57 |
Rather than forcing Youri Tielemans or John McGinn to drop deep, it may prove to be much more sensible to trust the 21-year-old against Oliver Glasner’s side.
Lamare Bogarde could become a star at Aston Villa
There is no doubt that the youngster has plenty of room for growth, but that isn’t to say that he already has excellent qualities to offer at Villa Park.
This has already been seen on various occasions, with his last competitive start showing how useful Bogarde could prove to be.
The Dutchman started in the FA Cup against Cardiff City and, in a 2-0 win, was able to maintain a 96 per cent pass accuracy across his 83 attempts.
Against the Bluebirds, the versatile ace was also able to win 100 per cent of his tackles while also contributing to a further four defensive actions.
- This was one of 10 starts for Bogarde at Aston Villa last season
- He made another six appearances off the bench under Emery
- So far this campaign he has appeared once, coming off the bench against Brentford
Add to this the fact that he won three of four attempted duels, and there is so much to like about his talents.
With this in mind, Bogarde needs to be given the chance to prove himself in place of Onana, something which could see him make the role his own this season.
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