Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has refused to explain Ollie Watkins’ absence from the squad after his side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat by Brighton in their Premier League opener.
The 30-year-old striker was left out of Villa’s matchday squad despite Emery confirming earlier in the week that Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal had made offers for the forward.
Asked whether the decision to leave Watkins out was his, Emery directed the question towards the player.
“This question is for him. You can call him and try to get his answer.”
Emery said Villa had other attacking options available despite injury concerns among two of the club’s forwards.
“The players here wanted to play and we had two strikers with a small injury. The question on Watkins is for him.”
Watkins’ omission comes at a time of significant change at Villa Park, with several important members of the side that helped the club win the Europa League last season having already departed.
Villa ended a 30-year wait for a trophy in May when they defeated Freiburg to lift the Europa League, but the squad that achieved that success has since undergone major changes.
Captain John McGinn acknowledged the difficulty surrounding Watkins’ situation while praising the players who featured against Brighton.
“It’s a difficult one. He’s been an amazing player and a record goalscorer – my job as captain is to get the best out of all the players that are here today.”
“It’s not easy coming here. I’m proud of the players that were here today and fought for the club.”
Watkins could now become the latest key player from Villa’s successful European campaign to leave the club before the transfer window closes.
Emery has already seen a number of significant departures, with the manager admitting that Villa are still in the process of rebuilding their squad.
“We are building the team. Last year and two years ago we were building the team in August,” he said after the defeat.
The latest major departure was defender Ezri Konsa, who has moved to Arsenal as Villa continue to reshape their squad.
Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, who scored in the Europa League final in Istanbul, also left the club last month.
Rogers’ transfer to Chelsea was particularly significant, with the £117m deal becoming a record transfer fee for an English player.
Villa have also allowed left-back Lucas Digne to leave for Paris St-Germain.
The situation in goal remains uncertain as well. Emi Martinez was not included in the squad for the Brighton match following his unsuccessful attempt to move to Juventus, while Villa have already signed Zion Suzuki as a potential replacement.
If Martinez eventually leaves, only five players who started the Europa League final in Istanbul would remain at the club: Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Victor Lindelof, McGinn and Emi Buendia.
The scale of the changes has left Emery with a substantially different squad from the one that delivered Villa their first major trophy in three decades.
Watkins’ future could therefore become another major issue for the club as the transfer deadline approaches.
The England international has been an important attacking figure for Villa and is the club’s record goalscorer, according to McGinn.
His absence against Brighton was consequently notable, particularly with Villa beginning the new Premier League campaign with a four-goal defeat.
Brighton’s victory exposed the extent of the challenge facing Emery as he attempts to rebuild his team while competing at the highest level.
