Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham has been handed an important opportunity against Bayern Munich as Unai Emery continues to assess the balance of his attack before the new season.
Ollie Watkins is not expected to feature in Hong Kong following his extended break after the World Cup, leaving Abraham in line for another significant pre-season role. A strong performance would arrive at an interesting time, with Villa having already explored other striker options this summer.
talkSPORT’s match preview expects Abraham to lead the Villa attack against Bayern, with the 28-year-old finally building match sharpness after shoulder surgery disrupted the start of his summer.
Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham can alter Emery’s thinking
Abraham has spent much of the window in an unusual position.
Villa are not actively attempting to sell him, but they have been prepared to consider suitable offers. At the same time, Emery’s side have looked at Nicolas Jackson as another potential centre-forward option.
That makes the next few weeks important.
ReadAstonVilla reported on Thursday that Jackson remains a player of interest after Xabi Alonso addressed his Chelsea future. If Villa eventually make another significant investment up front, Abraham’s route to regular minutes becomes considerably narrower.
There is still a straightforward way for him to change that conversation: perform.
Abraham already offers something different to Watkins. His size gives Villa a more obvious penalty-box target, while he can occupy centre-backs and provide a focal point when Emery wants his wide players to attack around the striker.
His problem since returning to Villa Park has been availability and rhythm rather than a complete lack of usefulness.
BBC Sport confirmed in June that Abraham underwent shoulder surgery, an issue which subsequently delayed his pre-season preparations.
Bayern test arrives at the right time
Friday’s match is an ideal examination.
Bayern may be missing several established names, but Vincent Kompany’s side should still provide a considerably tougher defensive test than Villa faced earlier on their Asian tour.
Supporters can find the full Bayern Munich v Aston Villa viewing details here, with the fixture forming Villa’s final Asian-tour match before attention turns towards Paris Saint-Germain and the UEFA Super Cup.
Abraham does not need one friendly to suddenly become Emery’s first-choice striker. Watkins remains one of Villa’s most reliable goalscorers and will return to the equation.
But Villa are still making decisions about their forward group.
If Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham can show he is fully fit, sharp and capable of carrying the attack against elite opposition, spending heavily on another centre-forward may become harder to justify.
A quiet summer opportunity could therefore have a much bigger consequence than the result of a friendly.
