Youri Tielemans ALREADY unhappy with Unai Emery due to lack of action since joining Aston Villa from Leicester, with the Belgian scoring just four league appearances in the new season
- Youri Tielemans has criticized Unai Emery for a lack of playing time at Aston Villa
- The club is four games into the league season and has only just started in Europe
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast ‘It all starts’
Youri Tielemans is already unhappy with Unai Emery due to his lack of playing time at Aston Villa just four games into the last Premier League season.
The Belgian joined the Villains on a free transfer after leaving relegated Leicester City in the summer.
But the 26-year-old midfielder has started just one match for his new club so far this season, in the second leg of the Europa Conference League against Hibernian, with the draw settled comfortably in Aston Villa’s favor after a 5-0 victory in Scotland a week earlier.
Tielemans is now on international duty and revealed ahead of the Belgian qualifier in Azerbaijan on Saturday that he was less than impressed with his lack of action so far at Villa Park.
Belgian outlet DH reported Tielemans said: ‘The situation is not pleasant. I told the manager (Emery) that I was coming to Villa to play. He understands me, but at the moment he prefers to play with his two midfielders from last season.
Youri Tielemans has said he is unhappy with Unai Emery due to a lack of playing time at Aston Villa
The Belgian midfielder has only played once for Villa since a free transfer from Leicester City
‘He told me that soon the matches will be back to back and that I will have more playing time. I know this answer doesn’t help me, but what should I do? I want to take every chance I get. So far I have started once, in the Conference League.’
With Tielemans having been called before reporters at the pre-match press conference, he is expected to start the Belgian match in Baku on Saturday, before Estonia host another Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday evening.
Aston Villa have won two and lost two of their first four Premier League games, leaving them in 10th place at this early stage.
However, their matches will soon follow, with the third round of the League Cup just around the corner, as well as the group stages of the Europa Conference League, after they beat Hibs 8-0 in the qualifying stages.
Aston Villa was drawn with the Dutch AZ Alkmaar, the Polish high-flyers Legia Warschau and the Bosnian club Zrinjski in group E of UEFA’s latest club competition.
Tielemans was one of five new signings to join Aston Villa this summer, with Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet all coming to Villa Park.
Tielemans is expected to start Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan on Saturday.