Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has shared his verdict on Calum Chambers after the defender was called into action against Nottingham Forest, seeing him make his first Premier League appearance of the season.
Aston Villa have had their squad depth tested this season, as Unai Emery continues to juggle the challenges ahead in the 2023/24 calendar with his extensive list of injuries.
The Midlands club have suffered three ACL injuries on top of a host of less severe absences, causing the manager to test the flexibility of his squad.
Somehow, Emery has managed to keep the Villans afloat, with his team currently leading the race for fourth place in the bid to claim a spot in next season’s edition of the Champions League.
Despite netting four goals and winning comprehensively against Nottingham Forest last time out, the boss was forced to make another change in his defence, seeing Calum Chambers thrown into action for the first time this season.
What Unai Emery said about Calum Chambers after Nottingham Forest win
Against Forest, fans were sent into another state of panic regarding injuries, as Pau Torres was substituted at halftime.
The Spaniard, who had just returned from his absence, was taken off as a precaution after he felt pain however, there is some ‘optimism’ that the defender will return against Luton Town.
In the instance that the 27-year-old isn’t fit, Emery could once again call on Chambers just as he was forced to against Forest, a performance that left the manager happy with the out-of-favour defender, via Express and Star.
“I told him: ‘Stay ready. In practice, stay focused on everything we are doing’. I have included him in everything and on Saturday we needed him and he played. I am very happy for him.”
“He’s appreciated in the dressing room, a very good man who I respect a lot.”
The revival of Calum Chambers at Aston Villa was a surprise
The decision to call Chambers into action to replace Torres last week came as a surprise to many, perhaps even the manager himself based on his decision to let the 29-year-old leave.
“As a professional I decided, even last summer, to let him leave and the same in January. He decided to stay here and I always respect him.”
While it was good to see the Englishman on the pitch for the first time in the 2023/24 Premier League season, the Villans didn’t have much of a choice considering the extent of their injury list at the back.
With Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Tyrone Mings and then Pau Torres out, the manager saw his fifth and sixth-choice centre-back pairing come up against Forest.
In hindsight, it was a blessing that Chambers didn’t bid farewell to Villa Park in the summer, or in January, as not many could have anticipated the degree of Villa’s injury problems.
With there no definitive answer over the fitness of Torres ahead of the Luton Town clash, Chambers could be in contention to secure his second Premier League appearance and his first league start since February 2023.
