Unai Emery prepared to push Aston Villa even harder over season run-in

Villa will head into the final two months of the campaign still fighting on three fronts and with supporters dreaming the club can end its 29-year trophy drought.

Emery’s men are next in action when they travel to Preston for an FA Cup quarter-final on March 30. Victory would book Villa’s first trip to Wembley for five years, while they also have a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain in between a host of important Premier League fixtures.

Emery has been pleased with the commitment of his players to this point of the campaign but has warned more will be required over what promises to be a thrilling yet hectic run-in.

He said: “We will have huge challenges for the players, for the club and for myself as well. We are excited but to achieve the objective we are going to have to work even harder than we did before.”

Emery and the club’s non-international players are currently in Dubai at a warm weather training camp. 

Several academy players have been included to boost the numbers of the travelling party. It is expected Villa will play a behind closed doors friendly against Abu Dhabi-based club Al Ain before returning to the UK at the end of the week.

Emery said: “We are going to work for four or five days in Dubai. Players are going away with their national teams and we will meet up, more less, in two weeks.

“Then we are going to play FA Cup in Preston, then Brighton and then Champions League at PSG.”