Unai Emery Confirms Agreement on Tielemans' International Game Time
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has revealed that the Belgium national team has agreed to his request to carefully manage midfielder Youri Tielemans' playing time during the upcoming March international fixtures. This arrangement comes as Tielemans returns from a two-month injury layoff, aiming to balance his club and international commitments effectively.
Tielemans' Injury and Return Timeline
The 28-year-old Belgian international sustained an ankle injury during Aston Villa's 2–0 victory over Newcastle United in January, sidelining him for the past two months. His absence has been felt in Villa's midfield, where his creativity is highly valued. However, Tielemans returned to full training at Bodymoor Heath on Friday and is now in contention to feature in this weekend's match against West Ham.
Emery's Strategic Approach to Player Management
In his pre-match press conference, Emery addressed concerns about Tielemans traveling to the United States with Belgium for matches against the USA and Mexico so soon after his recovery. "The national team for them is very important. And he's very intelligent," Emery stated. "His commitment with us is a huge commitment, and he's recovering just to play some minutes on Sunday with us and to go with his national team."
Emery emphasized that he accepted and supported Tielemans' opportunity to join the national team, noting a similar situation occurred in October or November last year. "He went with the national team after, he was getting some minutes after his injury, and going with his national team to play there, their minutes as well," he explained.
Collaboration Between Club and National Team
The Villa manager highlighted the collaborative efforts between the club and Belgium's medical teams to ensure a progressive reintroduction for Tielemans. "We spoke between the club and the national medical teams responsible, to introduce him progressively. And he did fantastic," Emery said. He praised Tielemans' intelligence and commitment, confirming that a deal was in place to manage his comeback appropriately with both Villa and Belgium.
Other Villa Players Returning to Fitness
In related news, Aston Villa captain John McGinn returned to fitness last week during the away match against Lille. Additionally, defender Matty Cash was named on the bench for the second leg of that fixture on Thursday after overcoming a calf issue, further bolstering Villa's squad options.
