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Jake Bayliss in BIRMINGHAM
AS clubs begin to kick-start their pre-season preparations, Dean Smith is without several of his Aston Villa players, who are still recovering from international tournaments.
Emi Martinez was a star performer in the team that led Argentina to their first Copa America in 28 years.
John McGinn proudly represented Scotland at Euro 2020, while Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings played their part in helping England reach the final.
However, for Douglas Luiz, who was an unused sub in the Copa America final for Brazil, his international duty continues as he looks ahead to this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.
With the opening games taking place on July 22 and concluding on August 7, a week before the start of the Premier League season, Smith will be without Douglas while he recovers.
That presents an opportunity for Marvelous Nakamba. The 27-year-old proved more than a capable back-up for Luiz throughout last season, but the stats suggest that it could be hard for the Brazilian to regain his place upon his return.
Making nine league starts, with 13 appearances overall, Nakamba was preferred over Luiz for the final two games of the season, resulting in back-to-back wins over Spurs and Chelsea.
The Zimbabwean also played 90 minutes in Villa’s home win over Arsenal and away win at Leeds.
Overall, Villa averaged 1.7 points when Nakamba was named in the starting XI, as opposed to 1.34 points without him in the team.
Both James Ward-Prowse and Will Hughes have been linked with a move to Villa Park, with Smith reportedly keen to bolster his midfield options.
However, Nakamba’s defensive stats underline the impact he could have on the team if preferred over Luiz long-term.
The holding midfielder ranked third overall for tackles (1.7 per game) and interceptions (1.3 per game) among Villa’s squad last season, only behind both Matt Targett and Matty Cash in both categories.
Though he initially struggled in Villa’s return to the top-flight, the £11m signing proved his worth as a more defensive option last season.
A different profile to Luiz, if Villa do continue their fine form with Nakamba in the side, he could become a surprise key man for Smith soon. – BirminghamLive
Online Reporter