Life at Aston Villa has started pretty quietly for Serbia’s rising star, Kosta Nedeljkovic.
The 18-year-old initially signed for Aston Villa during the January transfer window from FK Crvena Zvezda, but was loaned straight back to the club.
Villa fans then got to see a glimpse of Nedeljkovic in pre-season this summer and he proved to be one of the best performers under Unai Emery.
But despite all that early hype, he has only played 183 minutes of football so far at club level, although, he is due to turn 19 in December, and perhaps, expectations need to be lowered around him.
Either way, with Matty Cash now returning from injury for Aston Villa, it has further decreased Nedeljkovic’s chances of earning game time.
But the right-back got a much-needed start for Serbia on Saturday as they recorded an impressive 2-0 win over Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League.
It’s allowing Nedeljkovic to keep himself ticking as he learns the ropes under Emery at Villa, with his Serbia side sitting third in their four-man UEFA Nations League group, two points behind second-placed Denmark and three behind Euro 2024 winners and leaders, Spain.
In that context, this was a huge win for the Serbs and Villa’s back-up right-back played his part in Leskovac, with Spain set to be their next test on Tuesday.
How Kosta Nedeljkovic faired after Serbia beat Switzerland in UEFA Nations League
Interestingly enough, Nedeljković played as a right-sided wing-back, played 71 minutes, picked up a yellow card and was then subbed off late in the second half with his team winning 2-0.
He had 24 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch and was handed a rating of 5.90 by WhoScored.
No other Serbian player got a lower rating, with the young fullback also making three clearances during the match and having an 85% pass completion rate.
Who starts at right-back for Aston Villa?
As mentioned above, Cash is back from injury, but does that mean he starts at right-back? Because he does divide opinion.
Ezri Konsa is expected back from injury after the international break, with the team travelling to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.
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Some argue that Konsa is Villa’s best right-back and centre-back because of his defensive consistency and calmness.
Perhaps the fixture list will decide for Emery because Villa’s Champions League adventure continues after the international break and the games are going to be rolling in at a fast pace.
