Ahead of Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League second leg against Ajax, manager Unai Emery has come to the defense of captain John McGinn and his team’s conduct, emphasizing their discipline.
The midfielder received a red card for a reckless tackle during Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at home in the Premier League against Tottenham.
The Scottish player is eligible to play in Thursday’s last-16 second leg match, with the aggregate score standing at 0-0 following last week’s draw in Amsterdam.
Defender Ezri Konsa will miss the game due to suspension following his red card in the first leg, and Nicolo Zaniolo is also unavailable due to a suspension.
Zaniolo, the Italian midfielder, received his third yellow card in the competition during last week’s match.
“I can’t say anything about the discipline of the players – Konsa’s red card was not really a red card but we have to accept the referee’s decision in that moment,” said Emery.
“On Sunday it was different circumstances. Tomorrow we can play with John McGinn which is fantastic to use him and his quality, power and spirit.
“We have players ready to play and trying to help the team.”
Defender Matty Cash also believes Scotland international McGinn will bounce back from Sunday’s frustration.
It was the first time the midfielder had been sent off for Villa in 224 games since joining from Hibernian in 2018.
“He is the captain,” said Cash. “It was a moment and a difficult day for everyone, really. We have tried to get our arms round each other and lift each other up.
“John is a leader and knows how to react. He has reacted positively and trained well. For us, tomorrow is the main focus now and then we can worry about the upcoming week. It is great to have him available. He is a massive player for this team.”
Villa are aiming for a first European quarter-final since 1998 and Thursday’s match against Ajax is a “big motivation to put things right” following Sunday’s Spurs defeat which damaged their top-four ambitions.
Cash added: “The first game at Ajax was a tough game, and on the back of a tough defeat at the weekend as well, tomorrow is the perfect game to bounce back.”
The match will include England midfielder Jordan Henderson, 33, returning to England for his first game since joining Ajax in January after six months in Saudi Arabia.
“They added a very experienced player, a top English player,” said Emery. “He knows how we can play tomorrow. He played fantastic there [in the first leg] and tomorrow we have to be ready to stop their gameplan.”