Aston Villa fans got their fix of pre-season content as the club released photos and videos from training on Monday.
Unai Emery and many of his players were back on the pitches at Bodymoor Heath as pre-season training got back under way, with plenty of things to look out for in the newly-released footage.
Among them are missing players, a new training kit with a glaring omission, and some young players involved. Below is a look at the key things we have noticed so far from Villa training.
No Coutinho or Tielemans
Two of the most notable absentees from the latest footage are Youri Tielemans and Philippe Coutinho, who could not be seen in the photos or videos.
Tielemans was in international action for Belgium over the summer, so could arrive later than his teammates. Coutinho, however, has not played for Brazil since the end of the season, sparking questions about his absence.
One fan on social media asked: “Shouldn’t Coutinho be back ? Wasn’t involved in any internationals so surely he should have reported back.” Others asked: “Where is Coutinho?” and: “Where’s Phil?”
New training kit
Photos and video clips on the club’s social media show the players in their new training kit, which does not sport the BK8 logo.
“Picking up right where we left off,” one supporter said. “Oh and I hope that the training gear stays without a sponsor!” Another said: “Please put these training shirts in the Shop! No BK8.”
A third supporter responded: “Training gear is certainly a lot nicer than the home shirt. Bet that sells better when released as well. Any idea about the away shirt, we play Walsall Saturday and claret could well clash with their red home shirt.”
Young talents involved
Among the players spotted in first team training are Jaden Philogene, Tim Iroegbunam and Ben Chrisene.
The youngsters all seemed to be working hard as they seek to impress Emery and his staff. Iroegbunam in particular caught the eye, with Emery heard shouting ‘good, Tim! Good, Tim!’ in one of the clips.
An eagle-eyed Villa fan on social media said: “I saw Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Tim Iroegbunam in training sessions. I hope to see the same in September.”
