Morgan Rogers is fit and available for Aston Villa’s Premier League opener against Newcastle United, Unai Emery confirmed.
Rogers was a doubt for the opening weekend after picking up an ankle injury in Villa’s pre-season clash with Roma.
The midfielder, who registered 18 goal involvements in the league last campaign, subsequently missed Villa’s last two warm-up games against Marseille and Villarreal.
But Emery confirmed that Rogers has recovered in time for their clash with Newcastle at Villa Park on Saturday.
Asked about the players who would miss the game, Emery told his pre-match press conference: ‘Tomorrow Emi Martinez is suspended, (Andres) Garcia is injured and (Ross) Barkley is not fit.’
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Villa were denied the final Champions League spot by Newcastle on goal difference last season, and Emery is expecting a tough opener against Eddie Howe’s side this weekend.
‘It will be very difficult. They have a very good structure tactically and are strong with individual players,’ the Spaniard added.
‘Collectively, they are such a strong team offensively and defensively to get a lot of duels.
‘Our experiences playing against them in three years, winning and losing, hopefully tomorrow at home we can add our supporters pushing us.
‘We have to be intelligent, we have to try to adapt to them tactically and try to win duels. Last year, we finished with 66 points and they finished with 66 points in 38 matches.’
Emery continued: ‘We’re starting again now. They’re in the Champions League and we are in the Europa League because the goal difference was so tight. Conceding and scoring is the difference, and they did it.
‘Hopefully we can start again, competing against them, showing our power and capacity with our performance in our tactical idea and individual skills.’
Newcastle, meanwhile, will be without Alexander Isak, as he continues to push for a move to Liverpool, but will have Anthony Gordon available after he recovered from an ankle issue.
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