Aston Villa’s Premier League clash against Luton marks the start of a crucial month for Unai Emery’s side.
The Villans head to Amsterdam on Thursday to face Ajax in the first leg of their Conference League round of 16 tie.
The following Premier League fixture is a mouthwatering clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on Sunday.
If the Villans want to finish their excellent work thus far, results in these two matches will be vital.
Emery faced the local media in his latest press conference ahead of the trip to Kenilworth Road.
During Friday’s media duties, the Spaniard was questioned on whether he regrets leaving Calum Chambers out of his squad for the Conference League.
Emery opens up on Calum Chambers regret
Chambers suddenly became an important firgure, with Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres returning from injury layoffs.
Furthermore, Diego Carlos’ hamstring issue means Villa are short of central defensive options.
The former Arsenal defender will not be present for the Villans’ trip to Ajax, and Emery was questioned on the decision to leave him out on Friday.
“No, because it was a clear decision, and it was an honest conversation with him,” he told Birmingham Live.
“When he decided to stay here, I told him, ‘you are one more’. He knows when we decided, and I told him that I wasn’t including him in Europe because we had to change it for some players.”
Despite Chambers’ reintroduction into first-team proceedings, including him in a European squad seems far-fetched.
There are other areas of the pitch that Emery wanted to prioritise with players who potentially have longer-term futures at Villa Park.
For now, the 29-year-old will provide cover when required in the Premier League and likely warm the bench when Torres and Konsa are back up to full speed.
After he nearly left the club in the January window, a move away in the summer seems smart for all concerned, particularly with Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos returning.
