Aston Villa have just two players out on loan to overseas clubs this season. Both are a case of developing options trying to pick up some minutes and experience.
For Andres Garcia, who has been sent to Getafe, it’s his first loan experience at any club.
Oliwier Zych, on the other hand, is at his third loan club since joining Aston Villa in 2023. This time there’s a difference, with the 22-year-old goalkeeper now in Portugal with Vitoria, rather than back in Poland.
Oliwier Zych is an ever present
From a purely statistical perspective, Oliwier Zych has been an ever-present for Vitoria in Liga Portugal. He’s played the entirety of four matches, conceding five goals and keeping a clean sheet in the process.
Last season, Vitoria finished 9th in the league. They conceded 54 goals across 36 games, so five in four would be an improvement on that ratio. However, with three losses and one win, they’re 12th and need to improve.
The problem isn’t conceding goals. It’s scoring them. Across those four games, Vitoria have found the back of the net three times.
The Aston Villa loanee’s first match was a 1-0 defeat to Arouca. That was down to a defensive mistake from Óscar Rivas, and Zych was rated similar to his teammates.
Next up came Sporting CP away, a game the Lisbon club were strong favourites for. Vitoria lost 3-2, with the goalkeeper getting a poor average rating across the media. He was considered at fault for the first goal, but not the following two.
Then came a 1-0 victory over Nacional, with Zych not having much to do. A one 1-0 defeat to Braga saw another average performance. There’s been no criticism towards the young stopper, and it’s defenders getting the blame for Vitoria being shaky at the back.
Next up is Casa Pia on Sunday, September 6th.
Good signs and then worry for Andres Garcia
Andres Garcia moved to Getafe in mid July and has been picking up minutes.
Last season was a big disappointment for the 23-year-old. Due to a mixture of repeated fitness problems and manager’s choice, Garcia totalled around 100 minutes for Aston Villa.
Thankfully he’s trebled that already. Garcia has played multiple positions for the Spanish club, displaying his versatility. Mainly on the right side, he’s operated in both attack and further back.
The first match was a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Alaves, with the Aston Villa loanee playing 80 minutes. He wasn’t seen as one of the better performers.
Then came 17 minutes against Partizan Belgrade in a Europa League qualifier.
Garcia scored a goal in the 87th minute, which would go on to prove crucial in the 3-1 victory. That saw praise in Spain, and he nearly played a part in another, after what was referred to as a ‘sublime one-two’.
La Liga and Racing were up next, with Garcia getting 85 minutes in a 1-0 victory. He was again crucial and set up the winning goal for Enes Unal, who he’s working well with. The Aston Villa youngster was widely regarded as one of the best players on the pitch.
The second leg against Partizan was 53 minutes and a 2-1 loss, that result made the goal in the first leg all the more important.
Injury concern for Aston Villa loanee
What followed is more concerning. In a 1-0 loss to Osasuna on August 31st, Andres Garcia came off injured after an hour.
Pain in the quadriceps was the reason he limped off and there was some concern from manager Jose Bordalas. It wasn’t just a case of tiredness as it had been with others, this was a fresh injury worry.
Thankfully for all involved, after a short break he returned to group training on Thursday and is in contention for the match against Celta Vigo on Monday, September 7th.
