Unai Emery can make a tactical tweak to his Aston Villa side after the international break to elevate one of his key players to even greater heights.
Aston Villa were in poor form before entering the international break as Unai Emery’s men were winless in their previous five matches.
Once they return, the Villans will want to make amends, starting with a home fixture against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
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Emery has been hit with an injury crisis during the break, with Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen all suffering setbacks.
Hopefully, he will have Konsa, Torres and Maatsen available but Onana is set for two to three weeks on the sidelines.
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Unai Emery must deploy Morgan Rogers as a left winger
One player who was in great form before the break was attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers.
The 22-year-old scored three goals and assisted twice in 11 Premier League appearances. As a result, Rogers was selected for Lee Carsley’s England squad.
He didn’t start either win against Greece or the Republic of Ireland but he came off the bench on both occasions, with Jude Bellingham left impressed by Rogers against Greece.
Rogers – who has been dubbed ‘unplayable’ by Jamie Redknapp – earned his opportunity for the Three Lions after flourishing as a number 10.
However, the Englishman could be more impactful as an attacking force by cutting in from the left instead, with Youri Tielemans assuming the attacking midfield role.
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Youri Tielemans can flourish as a number 10
One issue Villa have had this term is lacking width, and deploying Rogers as a left winger could resolve that problem, especially with the injury to Jacob Ramsey.
The former Middlesbrough man is at his best when he’s driving at defenders in transition and on the wing, he could have the license to hug the touchline or drive inside, creating space for Lucas Digne to overlap.
Not only that but playing Rogers as a left winger would open up further opportunities for Tielemans to impact a game centrally whilst having Boubacar Kamara and Onana as defensive protection.
Once Kamara and Onana return to full fitness in the coming weeks, together they can form an excellent double pivot.
It’s a move that can also benefit the team as a whole, with Rogers and Tielemens potentially combining as an attacking force.
