Aston Villa will face Fulham away as the 8th round of the EPL is about to start. Villa boss Emery updated the team's injury and preparation situation in the pre-match conference. He revealed that players such as McGinn, Konsa and Filogen are all back to fitness and in good shape for regular training with the team. This could be the first time this year that almost all players will be available to play, with only Olsson a possible absentee as he has not fully returned to training.
Talking about the preparations after the international day, Emery said that it has not been easy but the team is doing their best to get the players quickly focused for the upcoming match. They have drawn up a detailed tactical plan which will be discussed again both on the way to Fulham and on arrival at the hotel. For the internationals, Emery has particularly emphasized the importance of mindset adjustment, asking them to maintain the high level of last season and not to relax.
Speaking about the upcoming fixtures, Emery said that the team is excited about the different opponents they will face. He specifically mentioned that players like Buendia are getting better and the return of Mings and Kamara will also have a major impact on the team. Meanwhile, Filogen has been playing well in recent matches and Villa are happy with the different options in the starting lineup and keeping the competition in the team.
Regarding the players returning from injuries, Emery said that they will inject more energy into the team. He emphasized that Villa will become stronger when these players are able to understand and integrate into the team's philosophy and style of play. However, he also admitted that the team needs to find ways to make progress after drawing their last two Premier League matches.
Finally, Emery talked about this round's opponent Fulham. He highly praised Marco Silva's coaching ability and said that Fulham is a very competitive team with a clear tactical system, strong in both offense and defense. Although Fulham are currently three points behind Villa, Emery knows that they were Aston Villa's rivals for a European spot, so he especially emphasized the importance of tomorrow's match and said that Villa will do their best to try to stay on top of the table.
