Unai Emery to have mixed feelings amid Evann Guessand developments away from Aston Villa
Aston Villa summer signing Evann Guessand linked up with the Ivory Coast squad for the international break.
Guessand joined Villa from OGC Nice as the first outfield addition of the window at Villa Park, before a trio of deals were agreed on deadline day.
There were initially questions of how Aston Villa would line up with Guessand in the side, but so far, Unai Emery has been reserved in his usage of the versatile forward.
The 24-year-old started as Villa fell to a 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in what was his first start in claret and blue and home debut.
Since then, Guessand has travelled to the Ivory Coast to feature for the national team, something which will cause conflicting opinions in B6.
Evann Guessand benched for Ivory Coast vs Burundi
It was clear against the Eagles that the number 29 is a very raw talent and is in dire need of minutes to build up his match fitness.
There was initial excitement when Emery opted to finally select Donyell Malen alongside the ex-Nice attacker, but it didn’t really work.
As a result, the Villans will have been hopeful of Guessand featuring for his country to help hit the levels expected of him in the Midlands.
This will result in frustration after the summer signing was left on the bench for the entire 90 minutes as the Ivorians scraped past Burundi with a 1-0 win.
A goal with three minutes gone from Vakoun Bayo arguably harmed the Villa man’s chances, seeing him left out in the opening clash of the international break.
As frustrating as this could prove to be for the forward and the B6 club, there is a silver lining to him being left out.
Aston Villa need Evann Guessand to stay fit
Although Guessand may not have been great on his debut, it feels highly likely that he will have a telling impact on the Villa squad this season.
As a result, keeping him fit and as a part of the squad, especially in these early stages of the campaign, is going to be of paramount importance.
Aston Villa’s current injury list:
- Amadou Onana – Hamstring
- Boubacar Kamara – Thigh
- Andres Garcia – Unknown
- Ross Barkley – Unfit
With this ever-growing roster on the treatment table at Bodymoor Heath, keeping the Ivorian away from it will be viewed as a boost.
With that being said, Guessand being left on the bench against Burundi could prove to be an ideal situation regardless of his need for match sharpness.
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