Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery has opened up about Kortney Hause and his future following his return to training this week.
It is has been a strange few years for Kortney Hause who has generally struggled with Aston Villa since Dean Smith’s departure.
The Englishman is yet to make an appearance under Unai Emery but has at least now returned to training at Bodymoor Heath.
The Englishman was a useful squad player in the Championship and early on after promotion from the Premier League. He was a useful deputy to Tyrone Mings due to Hause being a left-footed centre-back option.
His last appearances for Villa came in the 2021/22 season, according to FotMob, and he hasn’t played for anyone since facing Sunderland at the start of last season.
After just three appearances for the Hornets, Hause returned to Villa due to being left out of their Championship squad. What followed was an injury-hit few months which he is only just beginning to recover from.
Unai Emery on Kortney Hause making a return
In a Twitter post, Emery’s quotes in his post-Middlesbrough press conference have been transcribed. This has seen him open up about Hause and his future.
On that, he said: “He is under contract. We decided a month ago to help him recover and come back to training, supporting him and maybe going on loan again. But until he’s going to decide his future or we are going to decide his future, he’s training with us.”
This has followed a post by Hause himself which saw him say: “Finally back in full training with the boys.”
It is clear to see that he is looking to get himself back to full fitness having missed out on football for nearly a year. It is unclear whether or not he will make that return with Villa but Emery appears to be giving him that chance.
With the strength in depth Villa have at centre back, it is unlikely. Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos and Clement Lenglet, there are plenty of big-name options.
Given the impact and contribution Hause had on Villa’s promotion campaign, he will always have a soft spot for most fans. This has seen him receive a great response upon his return post on social media.
It looks like a loan or permanent move away is going to be the preferred option for the English defender in the future. Whatever his end location, no Villa fan will begrudge him such is his status amongst fans despite a lack of game time.
