After a new Lucas Digne conundrum surfaces, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery may be forced to make a crucial squad selection for their upcoming two games against Zrinjski and Wolves.
The Frenchman is currently only one caution away from a suspension in the Premier League, as noted by Birmingham Live on Monday (2 October), which would force Emery to start Alex Moreno in one of those two matches.
After seven Premier League games this season, both Digne and Douglas Luiz have accrued four yellow cards each. As the team prepares for several crucial games, beginning with Wolves on Sunday (8 October), one more caution might result in an automatic ban.
As Alex Moreno recovers from a hamstring injury he sustained in May, Digne has filled in for the Spaniard at the start of current season.
However, Moreno did not travel with the team to Stamford Bridge last month as Unai Emery indicated (through journalist John Townley, 24 September) that he is not completely confident to participate. Moreno had returned to the matchday squad against Crystal Palace.
This following week, when they play Digne on Sunday, Zrinjski on Thursday in the Europa Conference League, and Midlands rivals Wolves on Saturday, Emery will be aiming to make it six wins out of six. Playing Zrinjski on Thursday may be a risky move.
On Thursday, the Spaniard might be obliged to start Digne, and on Sunday at the Molineux Stadium, he might have to bring the very capable Moreno back from the injured wilderness.
After joining for £13 million from Real Betis in January and becoming manager Unai Emery’s first signing, Moreno made 19 Premier League matches and established himself as a regular starter before suffering an injury.
In his 19 league games for the Villans previous season, Moreno excelled, surpassing his expected assists (xA) of 2.58, averaging 1.2 critical passes, completing 46% of his dribbles, and also averaging 1.2 tackles per game [SofaScore].
The Opta-powered stats at FBREF show that over the past year, among all full-backs in the top five European leagues, Moreno is in the top 20% of players for successful take-ons (1.24 per 90) and the top 96th percentile of players for progressive carries (3.87).
The well-known attacking prowess of Moreno has proven to be the ideal fit for an Aston Villa team that adjusts their tactical approach to let the Spaniard charge forward.
It will be a loss to lose Digne if he receives a suspension in the upcoming weeks, despite the fact that his attacking game has significantly and dramatically improved thus far this season. However, Emery might be willing to give Moreno some much-needed game time to regain his match rhythm before the upcoming international break.
Emery will undoubtedly have a difficult time making a decision this week, but it is sadly the price to pay for having so many high-caliber candidates for one post.
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