Emiliano Buendia made a much-awaited return for Aston Villa on Sunday after suffering an ACL injury before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
The 27-year-old had been out of action for nearly a year and it was great to see the playmaker back on the pitch.
The only shame is that Aston Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat to Columbus Crew in their preseason friendly in the United States.
Overall, it was a pretty abject performance from the Villa team and there were only very few positives, with the defence, in particular, suffering.
Aston Villa conceded three goals in the first half, with Unai Emery making a hatful of changes at the break and then a few more midway through the second half.
Buendia was one of those introduced into the action – Emery made an admission about Buendia after his return.
The Argentina star looked lively on the ball and linked up well with the attacking players around him – something Villa very much missed.
Ian Taylor was on commentary duty for Villa TV and he noticed a change in Buendia after he shrugged off a challenge a won a foul.
The former midfielder stated ‘it looks like he has been in the gym’ and you feel he would have had plenty of time to do that given that he was out of action for so long.
Emiliano Buendia returns from injury for Aston Villa
“It looks like he has been in the gym, Buendia,” said Taylor. “He has shown good strength there. He draws the foul.
“It’s one of those, when a player has come back from an injury such as his, every time he gets the ball and gets challenged. It’s like ‘oooh’. You just don’t want him to get hurt again.”
Aston Villa’s midfield
Villa’s midfield is now pretty stacked and it could be argued that it is now one of the strongest areas of the pitch.
Amadou Onana made his unofficial debut for Villa during the defeat to Columbus Crew, with John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Jacob Ramsey yet to kick a ball in pre-season.
READ MORE: Three things spotted in Aston Villa defeat to Columbus Crew, including surprise Unai Emery decision
Another player who will be competing for those midfield spots are the two new boys – Enzo Barrenechea and Ross Barkley – Villa fans had a lot to say about Barrenechea against Columbus Crew.
Not forgetting about Boubacar Kamara – he was a huge miss for Villa after his season-ending injury in February – and fans will be hoping he is back before Christmas.
