Tim Iroegbunam to get Aston Villa chance after Leander Dendoncker exit

Unai Emery is ready to put his faith in youth and offer Tim Iroegbunam the chance to step up following Leander Dendoncker’s Villa exit.

Queens Park Rangers' Tim Iroegbunam celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at Loftus Road, London. Picture date: Saturday February 25, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER QPR. Photo credit should read: Rhianna Chadwick/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Dendoncker is poised to join Napoli on loan but it is not certain Villa will recruit a replacement before next week’s transfer deadline, with Iroegbunam instead handed increased playing time during what could be a hectic second half of the season.

The 20-year-old has played just three minutes as a substitute to this point but has impressed Emery in training.

“I was testing him in each session we had. I was testing him with our coaches,” explained the boss “I think he is a player who can progress and we think he could progress now more giving him chances to play.”

A product of Albion’s academy, Iroegbunam joined Villa in 2021 and made his first-team breakthrough the following season under Steven Gerrard, before spending last term at QPR on loan.

“His characteristics as a player are more or less the same position trying to fight to or to share the position with Boubacar Kamara,” continued Emery.

“Leander Dendoncker is a little bit similar and when we were trying to analyse deeply how we can face the last four months in every competition we are facing, I decided to let Dendoncker leave and to keep Tim here.

“I am going to give him chances to progress with us here in the idea we are trying to build.”

Emery also confirmed another youngster, 21-year-old right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden, will stay on board for the rest of the season to provide cover and competition.

“We’ve added Kaine to our squad because we need a player with his characteristics as a full-back,” he explained. “The only player who can play like that is Matty Cash. Now with Kaine, we have two.”