Pre-season is a great platform for players, whatever situation they are in, to prove themselves to the club and showcase a place in the squad or starting XI for the upcoming season.
Well, that’s the exact situation new recruit Fred Guilbert and James Bree find themselves as Villa’s preparations for the new campaign get underway.
Both players are right-backs, but with the more senior Ahmed Elmohamady being the first choice at the club, more than likely only one of those two will be able to battle him for a starting birth – you’d expect Bree to be on the backfoot already because he’s been at the club for a while and Guilbert has just walked through the doors.
Elmohamady ended the recent promotion campaign in fine fashion. Added with that, he managed to transcend that form into the Africa Cup of Nations for his home country of Egypt, so he may have just pushed himself further ahead of those two.
But given the fact that he was on international duty, he will be given an extended break whilst the rest of his Villa teammates try to get back to sharpness ahead of the new season.
That gives Guilbert, who initially joined from French side Caen in January but was loaned back, and Bree the chance to prove their worth whilst Elmohamady is away.
There may even be the case that Elmohamady might not be ready for the new Premier League season, so one of the above two might have to step up.
This is a great chance for them to prove their worth and even produce the goods because even if they do that then the returning Elmohamady might have to wait his turn.
