Aston Villa are preparing an overseas working trip next month, according to Birmingham Live. The local outlet stated on Friday that Unai Emery intends to take a selection of his squad to Spain while domestic football pauses for international fixtures.
A match against Sevilla has been pencilled in for 2 October. That date falls eight days before the team resumes Premier League action at home against Brentford on 10 October. In total, there will be a three-week interval between the away game at Tottenham next Saturday and the visit of the Bees.
Emery used a similar approach last season when the club travelled to Spain during the March window and played Elche. The extended pause this autumn provides another opportunity to keep non-international players sharp.
Exactly how many first-team members will be available remains uncertain. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nicolas Jackson, Ibrahim Mbaye and Zion Suzuki are all expected to join their respective national squads following their summer arrivals. Johan Manzambi may also represent Switzerland after recently returning to full training following a knee problem.
Established internationals such as Matty Cash, John McGinn and Victor Lindelof would similarly miss the trip. For those left behind, however, the exercise offers valuable minutes and a change of scenery midway through the campaign.
