Joe Cole stunned by ‘strange’ Aston Villa development he saw amid Rashford claim

Joe Cole has been left baffled by Aston Villa ahead of their Premier League clash with Fulham on Saturday.

The Villans will look to bounce back from their FA Cup defeat against Crystal Palace when they return to league action against Fulham at Villa Park on 3 May.

Aston Villa face a stressful end to the season, as they sit two places and three points behind a Champions League qualification spot with only four games left.

Unai Emery will therefore be determined to put his recent disappointments behind him and lead Villa to a win against the Cottagers.

Cole predicts Aston Villa v Fulham

Looking ahead to Saturday's game at Villa Park, Cole admitted that he was confused by Aston Villa's performance against Palace in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

The former attacker was fully expecting Emery's side to return home with the win, but felt they failed to turn up at Wembley, describing their performance as 'strange'.

He also expressed concerns about the uncertainty around Marcus Rashford's future at the Birmingham-based club.

However, Cole still expects Villa to claim all three points against Fulham, although the visitors may still put up a fight.

"Aston Villa have got to win this game to keep themselves in that Champions League race", Cole wrote in his column on Paddy Power's website (2 May).

"It was a really strange performance from Unai Emery’s team in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace, particularly as they’d only lost two of their previous 12 games.

"They just didn’t turn up, and it’s Palace into the final. We are still unclear on Marcus Rashford’s future, we don’t really know what’s happening there, so that’s something to keep in mind."

Rashford to return to Manchester United

Rashford was considered a lost cause at Manchester United, but has had an upturn in form since joining Aston Villa on loan in the winter transfer window, bagging four goals and six assists in 17 games.

On paper, Villa's decision to include a £40million buy option in the deal to sign the forward on loan looks wise, but there are no guarantees that such a transfer would materialise.

Rashford's wage demands are expected to be a problem for Emery's side, while the England international still dreams of a move to Barcelona.

Moreover, the 27-year-old's season appears to have come to an end after he picked up a hamstring injury.

Villa are in talks with Manchester United over sending Rashford back to Old Trafford if his fitness does not improve.