Unai Emery Frustrated as Ten Aston Villa Players Depart on International Break
Ten Aston Villa players have left Bodymoor Heath this week to join up with their national teams, and Unai Emery has made no secret of his frustration with the Aston Villa international break. The Spaniard accepts the calendar is out of his hands, but he does not have to like it. The exodus covers players across defence, midfield and attack, leaving Bodymoor Heath notably quieter than usual for the next fortnight.
Matty Cash reports for Poland duty and Aaron Wan-Bissaka links up with DR Congo. Matteo Ruggeri has also been called into the Italy squad at short notice, stepping in after Federico Dimarco withdrew through injury.
Primary Source Attribution & Official Details
Speaking before Villa’s final match ahead of the break, Emery addressed the length of the gap directly. “This break is crazy because it’s three weeks. I don’t like to be three weeks after tomorrow not playing, but we must accept it,” he said, according to a report from the Birmingham Mail.
Emery also pointed to the impact on younger players moving between club and country. “We are not going to have the players we want so they can adapt quickly with us. For example, Manzambi played the first two matches with us and tomorrow the third, and then he goes with the national team,” he explained.
Squad Impact & Tactical Context
Villa are already missing several first-team options regardless of the international window. Ian Maatsen remains sidelined for a few more weeks, and with Ruggeri now away on international duty too, Emery is short of natural cover at left-back. Pau Torres continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, and Leon Goretzka is working his way back from a knee problem. Supporters can follow the latest fitness and disciplinary picture through our Aston Villa suspension tracker updates.
Cash and Wan-Bissaka’s simultaneous departures also leave Emery without his two senior right-back options for the length of the break, a reminder of how thin his defensive options have become this week.
Emery is concerned that the back and forth will unsettle players once they return to Bodymoor Heath. “Then back with us, we must again try to join him with us in our structure, and his mind will maybe be confused. It is like that,” he said of Johan Manzambi’s situation.
He was clear, though, that the disruption will not be used as an excuse. “We don’t want to use international break as an excuse. We will work with the players who will be here, and those with the internationals won’t be here,” Emery added.
What Happens Next / Upcoming Timeline
The Aston Villa international break will keep the first-team squad split for close to three weeks, and Emery has arranged two friendlies to keep his group sharp. Villa will play Southampton behind closed doors before travelling to Spain to face Sevilla on 2 October.
The trip to Sevilla doubles as a useful run-out before Premier League action resumes, giving Emery one more look at his group before a fresh block of fixtures. Before any of that, though, his focus was on the match immediately in front of his squad. “Tomorrow is very important as we lack points, but we continue in our process, trying to work as well as possible,” he said.
Off the pitch, work continues on the Villa Park expansion work while the players are away, another reminder that life at the club does not pause just because the first team is scattered across the world.
