Unai Emery makes blunt Aston Villa admission hours before PSG final
Aston Villa vs PSG arrives with Unai Emery admitting his side will not be at their best for tonight’s UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg. Villa have endured an awkward pre-season following the World Cup and major squad changes, but Emery remains adamant his players are ready to compete with the Champions League holders.
Villa face Luis Enrique’s side at 8pm BST with the first European trophy of the season on the line.
Preparations have been complicated by several late returns from the World Cup. Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez will not feature tonight despite all three being named in Villa’s UEFA squad.
Aston Villa vs PSG still gives Emery reason to believe
The timing of the Super Cup has rarely been straightforward for Emery.
He pointed out that his three previous appearances in the competition also came during August, when squads were still building fitness and players were returning at different stages of preparation.
Villa are also adapting to a reshaped squad.
Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have departed, while Lucas Digne could make his second PSG debut against his former club tonight. Sky Sports notes that five of the 16 Villa players used during the clubs’ last meeting in 2025 have since left, while Amadou Onana is also unavailable through injury.
That makes tonight a significant early examination of Emery’s rebuilt side.
There is encouragement in the opposition camp too. Luis Enrique has already admitted PSG have faced their own difficult preparation after a large group of players returned late from the World Cup.
