Credit: Imago

Max Wilkins

Wed 3 June 2026 7:00, UK

Aston Villa fans will already be looking forward to the upcoming campaign after a stellar end to last season.

The Villans are coming off the back of Europa League glory and a top-four finish in the Premier League for the second time in three years.

Lifting silverware in Istanbul will never be forgotten at Villa Park and could prove to be the perfect send-off for many names in B6.

Many stars have now turned their attention to the international stage as they prepare to line up for their respective countries at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Unai Emery will have his eyes on preparations for the new season as Villa News highlights some key dates below.

When will Aston Villa players return for pre-season training?

It says a lot about how good the claret and blue outfit have been in recent years that they are going to be well represented in the upcoming summer tournament.

The World Cup is the pinnacle for many, and supporters will certainly be proud to see Villa favourites lining up in North America across June and July.

As exciting as that will be for those involved, it will also affect the Villans and their pre-season preparations.

Emery welcomed part of his squad back to training in the early days of July last summer, before the internationals made an appearance a week after the initial group.

That may be the case for those not going to the World Cup this summer, but the stars involved are likely to have an extended break until the latter stages of July.

Things will be made slightly complicated with the UEFA Super Cup on the horizon as the B6 outfit are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on 12 August.

Another trophy to fight for 😤

We’ll face Paris Saint-Germain for the UEFA Super Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RiVUB2vlo1

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 30, 2026

Villa will look forward to facing PSG, but it may take its toll ahead of the beginning of the new Premier League season.

When does the 2026-27 Premier League season start?

The Premier League campaign then gets underway just 10 days after the Villans face the Champions League winners, on 22 August.

That represents a week difference from the 2025-26 campaign, with the World Cup forcing the league organisers to adapt.

With FIFA’s showpiece tournament ending on 19 July, that is hardly a surprise.

The claret and blue outfit will be glad to miss out on the first round of the Carabao Cup, with the first round fixtures getting underway on 7 August, while Villa won’t join until the third round.

When will the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures be released?

Although it may feel that these dates are far away, the release date of the Premier League fixtures certainly isn’t.

The league organisers will share details for all 380 matches of the upcoming season on Friday 19 June at 10am.

That will see Villa learn when they will play top-end sides like Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, while also discovering when promoted sides Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will travel to Villa Park.

Emery started last season with a goalless draw against Newcastle United, where Ezri Konsa was sent off with over 20 minutes to spare.

The Spaniard and the B6 faithful will have a keen eye on the fixture release in the hope of kicking off a Premier League campaign at Villa Park for just the second time in over 15 years.