Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says new signing Manzanbi has begun training on grass but remains around two to three weeks away from being available, ruling him out of next Monday’s home Premier League match against Arsenal.
Villa opened their league campaign with a 0-4 away defeat by Brighton, conceding all four goals before half-time. Emery also confirmed that Moreno and Abraham are recovering from minor injuries, although both are expected to return soon.
“Manzanbi has started training on grass and should need roughly two to three weeks before he’s available for us,” said Emery. “Moreno has a minor injury that should clear up graduallyhe’ll return to full training in a few days. Abraham also has a small injury but will be back soon. Hopefully we’ll have strikers available, though this situation can happen in football.”
Emery admitted Villa were overwhelmed during the opening stages at Brighton, with mistakes punished almost immediately as the hosts took control.
“It was a difficult match, particularly in the first 20 to 25 minutes,” he said. “We made some mistakes, and when you’re building a new team, errors are inevitable. We were extremely unluckyevery mistake we made, Brighton punished immediately. Conceding four goals in the first half was a crazy moment.”
Villa improved after the interval, despite playing with a numerical disadvantage. Emery said his side changed its approach at half-time, remained disciplined and created chances while preventing Brighton from adding to their lead.
“The second half was much better. The players performed very well. We adjusted our tactics at halftime and, even playing with a numerical disadvantage, maintained focus, stuck to our game plan, limited further damage, and created scoring opportunities,” added the manager.
The defeat leaves Villa without points after the opening round, but Emery said the club would use the campaign to develop its structure and establish how the squad should progress both collectively and individually.
“Our goal has shifted: to operate effectively in the transfer market, maximize our current players, and meet the difficulties ahead this season,” he said.
Villa’s next opportunity to respond comes at Villa Park against Arsenal on Monday. Emery believes home advantage can help his players recover, while the week between matches will allow them to address the tactical problems exposed at Brighton.
“In the Premier League, there are 38 matches and every point matters. We lost three points today,” he said. “Playing at Villa Park, we should feel more confident and comfortable. We’ll use this week to improve tactically and correct today’s mistakes as we push forward.”
Emery said Villa had faced similar periods of difficulty several times during the past four years and insisted the club would continue to move forward. He also indicated that the final 10 days of the transfer window could be important, with options being considered within the existing squad and in the market.
“My responsibility is to analyze problems and find solutions,” said Emery. “In the final ten days of the transfer window, we must act, and we have options with our current squad that we’re exploring.”
He pointed to Villa’s strong performance in their most recent friendly against Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the determination shown during the second half at Brighton, as evidence that the team can recover.
“We always recover from difficulties and bounce back, and I’m confident we’ll do so again,” Emery said.
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