Emery tells Garnacho to 'work, work, work' as Villa loan man falls behind in pecking order

Alejandro Garnacho’s difficult start to life at Aston Villa deepened on Wednesday night when the on-loan Chelsea winger was left as an unused substitute during a 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Coventry City. Manager Unai Emery acknowledged the 21-year-old is currently behind other options in his squad.

Garnacho joined Villa on a season-long loan this summer — with an option to make the deal permanent — after a frustrating spell at Chelsea, where he made just 43 appearances following his £40 million move from Manchester United in 2025. Since arriving in the Midlands, he has been restricted to three substitute appearances, all in the Premier League, and has yet to complete a full 90 minutes.

When asked why Garnacho did not feature against Coventry, Emery was direct. “Continue working. Work, work, train, work,” the Spaniard said. “When he can have minutes to play, try and play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now.”

Emery pointed to the form of teammates as the reason for Garnacho’s limited opportunities. “George [Hemmings] is playing fantastic. Alysson is also understanding things well and is giving us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well,” he said. “We want a competitive team and players to compete in the style we have. Garnacho is a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”

Despite the current situation, Emery has previously expressed his desire to keep Garnacho at Villa Park for the long term. “We want him at the same level he was for Chelsea in the first part of last season and in Manchester two years ago,” the Villa boss said last week. “He is a player we have signed for a long time, and we will help him to feel comfortable and confident to get his quality.”

The Argentina international will be hoping to force his way into Emery’s plans as Villa navigate a busy fixture schedule, but for now patience appears to be the only option on offer.