Boubacar Kamara’s return has come at an important time for Aston Villa.
The France midfielder scored in Tuesday’s 3-1 win against BG Pathum United, his first appearance after seven months out with a knee injury. Villa’s official match report confirms Kamara came off the bench and scored in Thailand.
It was only a pre-season appearance, but the bigger question for Unai Emery is how quickly Kamara can become an important part of his midfield again.
Kamara gives Aston Villa something they have missed
Villa’s midfield has changed considerably since Kamara was last available.
Youri Tielemans has left the club, while João Gomes has arrived from Wolves. John McGinn also suffered a knee problem against BG Pathum, creating another concern before the new season.
Kamara’s value comes from the balance he provides.
He can sit in front of the defence, receive the ball under pressure and allow the midfielders around him to play with greater freedom. Villa have players who can press aggressively and carry possession forward, but few who naturally perform Kamara’s deeper role.
That could make a partnership with Gomes particularly interesting.
Gomes is at his best when he can step forward, compete for loose balls and disrupt opponents. Kamara’s positional discipline could allow the Brazilian to do that without leaving Villa exposed behind him.
[ReadAstonVilla’s player ratings from the BG Pathum win] highlighted Kamara’s goalscoring return, but the next stage of his comeback is more important than the goal itself.
Bayern can show whether Kamara is ready for PSG
Friday’s friendly against Bayern Munich should provide a much stronger test.
[ReadAstonVilla’s predicted XI] has Kamara pushing to start alongside João Gomes against Bayern, which would give Emery his first opportunity to assess that partnership against elite opposition.
Villa then face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup five days later.
Kamara does not need to play 90 minutes in Hong Kong. After such a long absence, building his workload without another setback remains the priority.
But if he can handle an hour against Bayern, Emery suddenly has another serious midfield option for Salzburg.
The goal in Thailand was a welcome moment.
What Kamara does next could have a much bigger effect on Villa’s season.
