Former Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale has told Przegląd Sportowy Onet that he wasn’t surprised when the Villans lost to Legia Warszawa in the UEFA Conference League earlier this season.
Aston Villa returned to European competition after more than a decade and the 59-year-old has cited this as the reason for losing to the Polish club. The two teams will face again at Villa Park on Thursday.
Teale insists Aston Villa have been constantly developing since Unai Emery arrived at the club a year ago.
Emery’s side are second in the table, level on points with Legia Warszawa, and a win later today would put them in a comfortable position to finish the group on top. In the Premier League, they are in fourth spot, trailing leaders Arsenal by two points.
“The chances are high. The problem is the demands of the Premier League. It’s a very difficult league,” he said.
“Emery cannot rely on the strongest squad in every match. The trainer has to rotate, which is a big problem. It will look like this until the decisive matches in Europe, although on Thursday he will not try anything because he needs to be sure that he will win.
“I think there will be eight basic players from the starting eleven, who mainly play in the Premier League. The coach will allow slightly older players to rest, although a lot will depend on the players’ health.”
