Aston Villa will turn their attention to Champions League matters on Wednesday night.
This is where the men will be separated from the boys because Aston Villa are in a rut, but they have highly-pressure games flying in their faces non-stop now.
Unai Emery has watched his team go winless in six, and if that continues during these coming weeks, then it is going to spell disaster for all.
Over the weekend, Villa recorded a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace – falling behind twice and also missing a penalty at 1-1.
That’s 19 Premier League goals conceded already and it’s only 12 games in, which is rather concerning if you are an Aston Villa fan.
And now Aston Villa face Juventus in the Champions League, sitting eighth in the standings and knowing three points will increase their chances of a top-eight finish.
If the Midlands side are to get back on track, especially from a defensive aspect, then Clinton Morrison feels one man needs to be starting.
Unai Emery and Aston Villa told they are missing Ezri Konsa
There are sections of the Villa fanbase who believe that Ezri Konsa is their best defender – whether he is at right-back or centre-half.
The only issue is that you want him to stick to one position, but because of injuries and the woeful defensive displays all round, he is moving around too much.
Clinton Morrison touched upon how Konsa was a miss against Palace and that he is his side’s ‘best defender’, as he told Sky Sports News (24/11/24 at 1:25 pm).
“They miss Ezri Konsa and Ramsey, in particular Konsa because Palace caused them a lot of problems with Sarr’s pace,” said Morrison.
“Fatigued (by the Champions League), not distracted. Villa have done well to get to the Champions League and they will qualify out of the stages. They have been excellent so far and have had some big nights at Villa Park.
“It’s injuries. You can’t afford to lose key players. You can’t afford to lose Konsa. He is their best defender. I think he is an outstanding talent. He has got that pace. He can play right-back. I think he is a better centre-half. I have seen him at centre-half and he is good alongside Pau Torres. They even have a chance of finishing in the top four. That’s how good Aston Villa are and the manager they have there is fantastic.”
Has Konsa recovered from injury ahead of Aston Villa v Juventus?
Yes, there have been occasions this season where, even with Konsa, the team hasn’t looked right from a defensive aspect.
But, at the end of the day, they are at their best with the England international in the XI, it’s as simple as that.
Ahead of injury-hit Juventus coming to town, the good news is that Konsa has been training ahead of that match and will be in the squad, as confirmed by Aston Villa themselves on social media.
