Alejandro Garnacho Faces Early Fight for Regular Role at Aston Villa

Posted : 22 September 2026

Alejandro Garnacho has made a difficult start to his loan spell at Aston Villa, with the winger yet to establish himself in Unai Emery’s plans.

The 22-year-old joined Villa from Chelsea during the summer but has played only 31 minutes this season, all coming from three substitute appearances. His longest outing so far lasted just 15 minutes against Hull City.

Garnacho was also left on the bench for Villa’s recent matches, including their 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City despite Emery making seven changes to his starting lineup. He remained an unused substitute again as Villa defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the Premier League.

The slow start comes after Garnacho endured an underwhelming spell at Chelsea last season. He scored once and provided four assists in 24 Premier League appearances after moving from Manchester United in a deal worth an initial £40 million.

Emery has stressed that Garnacho’s situation is partly connected to a disrupted pre-season. The Argentine suffered a facial injury in August and missed the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, leaving him behind some of his teammates in terms of preparation and integration.

The Villa manager has also pointed to competition within his squad. Academy graduate George Hemmings has impressed, while Alysson and Ibrahim Mbaye have also earned opportunities ahead of Garnacho.

“Continue working. Work, work, train, work,” Emery said when asked about Garnacho’s lack of playing time. He added that the winger is progressing but currently has other players ahead of him.

Emery previously indicated that Garnacho’s attitude and commitment in training had been positive, suggesting the club expects him to improve as he becomes more familiar with the team’s methods.

Garnacho has previously demonstrated his ability to make an impact in the Premier League, but his limited involvement at Villa means he still has work to do to secure a regular place in Emery’s side.

His move to Villa came after Chelsea signed Morgan Rogers from the club for a reported £117 million, while Nicolas Jackson also moved from Chelsea to Villa in a club-record deal. The relationship between the two clubs helped facilitate Garnacho’s loan.

Alejandro Garnacho Faces Early Fight for Regular Role at Aston Villa

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics