Brian Madjo's imminent return: Why everything is about to change at Aston Villa
Brian Madjo could be about to change the direction of Aston Villa's season.
Imagine saying that before the summer. However, it's true.
The 17-year-old had a stunning pre-season, scoring three goals in 280 minutes of football, which included 60 minutes against Bayern Munich.
He then grabbed the headlines after scoring in Villa's UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, breaking history by becoming the youngest-ever player to score in the final, surpassing Patrick Kluivert.
The striker has been out injured with an ankle issue for over 50 days, missing seven competitive matches for the Villans so far.
However, Madjo made his return to the pitch in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Sevilla on Friday, giving Villa a major beacon of hope for their season.
Vocal point, presence, ability: Why Brian Madjo's return is huge for Aston Villa
Madjo managed to play 45 minutes against Sevilla, and has another week to prepare at Bodymoor Heath before the Villans return to action against Brentford on Saturday.
Unsurprisingly, Unai Emery's side scored three goals after Madjo was introduced in the second half against the Spanish side, running out 3-1 victors.
The teenager already showed the world what he is all about against PSG, earning a 7.6 FotMob rating on the night after scoring.
The number nine had a whopping six shots, the most in the game, competing in nine aerial and physical duels combined.
He missed three big chances in the match, while also creating two other chances for his teammates, all inside 72 minutes.
The 25-touch snippet was enough in itself to give Emery and Co. hope that their attack will thrive this season after all, as the Villans currently rank bottom of the Premier League for xG created (4.60).
Madjo can provide a fresh vocal point for Villa, giving Emery a lethal rotation option with Tammy Abraham and Nicolas Jackson also available.
The 6,4' England-born forward also has a presence so good, it even rattled the defence of perhaps the best team in the world, which will only help others around him against Premier League opposition.
Not only that, but Madjo has clear quality that is seeing him dubbed as Harry Kane's successor.
His imminent reintroduction to the side could put Villa back on track to achieve their domestic and European goals this season.
The challenge Unai Emery faces with Aston Villa 'monster'
AS USA labelled Madjo a "monster in the making" after his performance against PSG, claiming he was Villa's "entire threat" when facing the reigning Champions League title holders.
The one challenge Emery faces is trying to ease the big man back into the fold, without causing any damage to his ankle again.
It will be hard for the Spaniard to go against starting Madjo when Villa meet Brentford at Villa Park.
However, slowly introducing him to Premier League opposition could be a blessing in disguise, so that he gradually adapts to the tempo.
Villa have another raw talent on their hands like Jhon Duran, perhaps even better.
They can't mess this one up, because he could be season-defining.