Aston Villa plan Spain training camp and Sevilla friendly during international break

Aston Villa are planning a training camp in Spain during the forthcoming international break, according to Football Insider. The trip would culminate in a friendly against Sevilla on 2 October, giving Unai Emery the opportunity to work with players who remain at the club while others depart for international duty.

Keith Wyness, who served as Villa's chief executive between 2016 and 2018 and now advises elite clubs through a consultancy, discussed the plans on the outlet's Inside Track podcast. He suggested the move is driven by Emery's desire to keep his available group active throughout what he described as a longer-than-usual pause in domestic fixtures.

Wyness argued that travelling supporters would welcome the arrangement, pointing to the appeal of an early-October visit to Seville. He did, however, raise concerns about the physical toll on a squad that has already been reshaped significantly over the summer, noting that similar camps carry an inherent risk of picking up injuries in non-competitive matches.

The manager took his team on a comparable trip last season, during which Jadon Sancho sustained a shoulder problem in a friendly against Elche. Wyness urged caution this time around, emphasising that Villa's current roster leaves little margin for error should anyone return hurt.

Emery's side have yet to win a Premier League match this term, drawing at Hull City and losing at home to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest either side of a Champions League victory at Club Brugge. A midweek League Cup win at Coventry City offered some relief before Saturday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

With the transfer window now closed until January 2027, the head coach must work with the group assembled over the summer, which includes arrivals such as Leon Goretzka, Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka alongside several notable departures. Keeping those players sharp without competitive fixtures is clearly a priority for the coaching staff.

Villa have not publicly confirmed the Spain trip or the Sevilla fixture. If the plans proceed as outlined, the friendly would fall between the league visit to north London and the resumption of Premier League action later in October.