Mbwana Samatta: No excuses for Aston Villa ahead of Premier League restart

Villa get the ball rolling on the top flight’s return when they host Sheffield United, the first match in a frenetic 10-match run-in for Dean Smith’s relegation-threatened side.

The hosts would move out of the bottom three with a win and Samatta, their £8.5million January signing from Genk, has declared himself ready to resume action.

Villa have been back in full contact training for less than three weeks but Samatta said: “There are no excuses about that. We have been training for about a month now (first with no contact) and we know how important the first game is for us.

“I can’t say I’m not ready. Yes, you probably have to play some games before you can catch up and go back to where you were before the pandemic. But you have to be ready, both mentally and physically too.”

Samatta’s form may well be crucial to Villa’s chances of beating the drop. The 27-year-old became the first Tanzanian to play in the Premier League when he joined from Belgium club Genk and has scored twice in his first six appearances for Smith’s team, including in the 2-1 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.

But he is yet to taste a victory in the top flight, with Villa having lost all four of the Premier League matches he started before sport was suspended in mid-March.

Samatta said: “From now it is not about one player. We all have to make a difference on the pitch.

“We have to focus as a group and make sure that as a group we are ready for the games. We have 10 games to go.

“I cannot just talk about myself. I am ready myself but for now we have to go forward as a group and help each other.”