Admittedly, there are only two games left, but Aston Villa supporters won’t have the opportunity to see if Philippe Coutinho can redeem himself under Unai Emery this season. The Villa boss dismissed the chances of Coutinho playing against either Liverpool or Brighton.
“This year, he’s not going to play again until the end of this season because we are finishing in two weeks,” confirmed Emery, at his pre-Liverpool press conference.
Considering that this season is essentially a preparation for the upcoming season under Emery, the Villa boss will undoubtedly be frustrated by not getting the chance to fully realise Coutinho’s potential in the team, as he has done with many other Villa players this season.
The likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins have hit another level under the Villa boss, and it was hoped that Coutinho too may have had a role to play.
“I talked with him this week; he’s a little bit unlucky with his month because I didn’t see him play matches like I want,” reflected Emery.
“But, of course, with the injuries coming, we have to be patient as well, now we are going to wait for his recovery.”
As MOMS learned during a visit to Bodymoor Heath earlier this year, Emery prefers to practice and hone his team’s tactics from actual matches rather than just on the training ground. This is ultimately where he would have liked to see Coutinho perform.
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What’s Coutinho’s Villa Future?
Is Coutinho’s race run at Villa? Has Emery already made a decision in terms of the summer?
From Coutinho’s point of view, at least he has a good Brazilian contingent at the club with Diego Carlos and Doug Luiz, backed up by the Argentine duo Eli Martinez and Eli Buendia, who also make up his social circle. In terms of personal support for an overseas player at Villa, it’s probably as good as it gets for him. So, no excuses there.
The preseason games will be big for Coutinho, if Emery is tempted by trying to harness the talents of the Brazilian and seeing if he can roll back the years.
UTV
