Aston Villa player ‘very good in his head’ despite struggles – Remains motivated according to coach

Burkina Faso head coach Hubert Velud isn’t pleased with Bertrand Traoré’s situation at Aston Villa.

Velud was the guest on Canal+ Afrique’s Talents d’Afrique, where he discussed the winger’s lack of regular game time at Aston Villa this season, and his comments are relayed by Orange.

The 28-year-old spent the first-half of the last season on loan at İstanbul Başakşehir, before his stay there was cut short in January. He was reduced to a substitute’s role under Unai Emery and the situation hasn’t improved this season.

The Aston Villa man has been restricted to 41 minutes of action from five appearances. Velud has insisted that Traoré is in good shape, and that’s crucial for the national team ahead of AFCON at the start of 2024.

“In terms of health, things are much better. What he lacks today is the competitive rhythm. To do this, he needs to find playing time again. He is aware of this, he trains very hard and learns a lot. He is very good in his head, very motivated,” he said.

Apart from Traoré, several other Burkina Faso players, including AFC Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara, have been struggling for minutes. The latter has managed only two league starts this season.

The AFCON will take place in Burkina Faso’s neighbouring country, Ivory Coast, and Velud believes this should motivate his players for the upcoming continental tournament.

“The fact that the AFCON takes place in Ivory Coast creates enormous motivation among the players, which I saw from the first match of the qualifiers. Everyone has a family member in Ivory Coast, it’s the pride of Burkina Faso that is at stake,” Velud explained.