'Work from home': Aston Villa players given time away during international break
Steven Gerrard has told Villa’s players they can work from home during the first week of the international break.
Those members of the squad not due to report for their national teams have been given individual training programmes to follow and told it is up to them where they put the work in.
With the Premier League season three-quarters complete and the majority of players due to be away from Bodymoor Heath in any case, Gerrard believes his men will benefit most from a mental break.
This move also gives those players who have been unable to see family during the pandemic the chance to head home for a few days.
Gerrard explained: "At this stage of the season, it's important to give them some time to spend with their families. I've decided the best thing is to give them individual programmes and give them some family time to tick over.
“They'll have some time away from here to try and freshen up ahead of the final nine games.”
Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground will remain open for any players who want to use the facilities and the squad will return next week as preparations for the derby at Wolves ramp up.
Gerrard is happy for them to do whatever they want with their spare time but his gesture comes with the warning if the training programmes are not followed, it will not be repeated.
He said: “If they want to train at home, go abroad and play some golf it's up to them. That’s fine with me.
“But they're are all under the strict guidance that if they don't stick to the programme they won't get free time again.”
Villa sit ninth in the Premier League with nine matches remaining, starting with the trip to Molineux on Saturday week.
Six members of the starting XI from last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal are due to be away on international duty, with Ollie Watkins yesterday added to the England squad. Argentine duo Emi Martinez and Emi Buendia aren't among those travelling, with both serving a two-match international ban.
Gerrard said: “When you get to March, we can't move the gauge in terms of how fit we will be.
“With COVID restrictions, people haven't seen family much over the past 12-18 months. I think we can gain more out of this period from a mental point of view rather than a physical point of view.”
