Soccer Football - Champions League - Aston Villa Training - Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, Bodymoor Heath, Britain - March 11, 2025 Aston Villa's Pau Torres, Marco Asensio and Jacob Ramsey during the training Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
(Reuters) - Aston Villa were handed a major boost on Tuesday ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Club Brugge as coach Unai Emery said three key players would return to the squad.
Villa won 3-1 at the Belgian champions last week and will have forward Marco Asensio, midfielder Amadou Onana and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez back for Wednesday's return leg having missed Saturday's Premier League win over Brentford.
"(Asensio and Martinez) are both in the squad, Onana as well is coming back," Emery told a press conference.
Midfielder Ross Barkley, forward Donyell Malen and defender Andres Garcia all remain out.
Villa are aiming for their first European Cup quarter-final appearance in more than 40 years, but will not be taking their two-goal advantage for granted, Emery said.
"The match can change so quickly... The respect (we have) of them is massive," the coach added.
"(We need) to follow the same game plan. We are ready to compete, (also) in case there is extra-time and penalties."
Villa won Europe's elite club competition in 1982 and should they progress on Wednesday, will face either six-times champions Liverpool or Paris St Germain in the quarter-finals.
"The challenge we have in the Champions League is a huge (one)," Emery added. "To achieve something as a club and for the supporters. Something for history and for us as professionals.
"To (do) it, the challenge is to think that anything can happen. We have to follow the same idea as before. The result is 3-1 but they can score and we have experiences against Celtic, when we were winning 2-0 and in five minutes we were drawing."
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
