Unai Emery demands MORE from Douglas Luiz despite the midfielder earning a first Brazil recall since 2021 as Aston Villa gear up for Conference League clash with AZ Alkmaar

Unai Emery gave an insight into his ruthless mentality by demanding even more from Aston Villa’s star man Douglas Luiz.

Luiz has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season and has been recalled to the Brazil squad for the first time since 2021 thanks to his excellent performances.

But Emery not only congratulated the 25-year-old on his international recognition but also called for improvement ahead of Villa’s Europa Conference League clash with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

“I’m very happy for him, but I’m also demanding for him,” Emery said. ‘He plays more consistently at home than away. I talked to him and told him that he is very important to us, but I also said: “You can do more. I’m going to try to push you to do more.”

‘I think he can take more responsibility in our development. Of course he scores a lot of goals, but he can provide even more assists.

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‘When we lost at Nottingham Forest last Sunday, I was waiting for him to do more with the ball. The matches we played at Wolves and Alkmaar were other examples of this. In our meetings I am demanding towards everyone every day.’

Meanwhile, Nicolo Zaniolo will find out on Friday whether he has retained his place in the Italy squad amid the illegal gambling scandal that has rocked Italian football.

Zaniolo and Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali left the training camp in Italy last month and missed their Euro 2024 qualifiers. Both have been questioned by investigators, with Tonali handed a 10-month ban.

Villa are cautiously optimistic that Zaniolo will receive no more than a fine. Last month his legal representatives said: ‘No evidence has emerged against him regarding the ability to bet on football matches.

‘He acknowledged that he had occasionally played poker and blackjack on illegal platforms. We are confident that our client’s lawsuit will be resolved quickly.”

After the 2-0 defeat at Forest, where Zaniolo was substituted at half-time for the second game in a row, Emery said: ‘In terms of the individual circumstances and his mind he has to try to be 100 percent free. to try to play and we’re trying to do it (help him).”