Aston Villa latest: Jackson impresses with double in Fenerbahce thrashing

Analysis by Sky Sports' Adam Bate from Villa Park:"The decision to sell Ollie Watkins this summer would have left some Aston Villa supporters concerned about how much the England forward would be missed this season, but Nicolas Jackson's start to life at Villa Park will have many feeling more encouraged."

The Senegal striker has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances and now has three goals from two Champions League games too. "The quality of his finishing has been a topic of debate throughout his career, but he was utterly clinical in this 6-0 home win over Fenerbahce." Jackson only turned 25 years old in June, whereas Watkins is 30.

There are risks associated with Villa's rebuild but, with the new man having worked with Emery before at Villarreal, this is one buy that looks likely to work out well for the West Midlands side."

Sky Sports' Adam Bate reporting from Villa Park:Aston Villa dismantled Fenerbahce with Nicolas Jackson and Ross Barkley scoring two each in a 6-0 Champions League win at Villa Park.

Unai Emery has confirmed Matteo Ruggeri will be sidelined for "some weeks" but Leon Goretzka is set to be included in the matchday squad for the first time against Fenerbahce on Wednesday. Ruggeri was withdrawn at half-time during the 2-2 draw against Brentford due to a hamstring injury. Villa are now without a recognised left-back with Ian Maatsen already sidelined with an ankle injury.

Goretzka, meanwhile, has not featured for Villa since signing as a free agent this summer. The Germany international sustained a knee injury but is now set to be included in the matchday squad for the first time. Speaking ahead of the meeting with Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Wednesday, Emery said: "Players like Ruggeri are injured, not sure how long exactly he will be, but some weeks.

"More than one month. So we have try to find solutions because Maatsen is not yet available. "I think he should be getting better; in a few days, one week or two weeks joining us, so is positive." Goretzka is in the squad. George Hemmings has a small pain, maybe back next week."

Kristoffer Ajer's equaliser earned a 2-2 draw for Brentford at Aston Villa to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Tyrone Mings has admitted he misses Ezri Konsa following his move to Arsenal from Aston Villa this summer. Konsa was one of several key players to depart the club, along with Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Martinez, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Mings and Konsa had been teammates at Villa since the latter joined from Brentford in 2019."

Yeah absolutely, there are a few players in there that I was quite close to," he told Sky Sports." Ezri and I had an amazing relationship over six years, seven years." I do miss him being around the building, of course."

But also he's a fantastic player and anybody that wants to go on and play for another club or try a new experience after the level of service that they gave this football club is leaving with their head held high in my eyes." I wish him all the very best. It was good to see him so quickly after he left because they came back and played at Villa Park." I'll speak to him at some point again, I'm sure."

Leon Goretzka has returned to training but will not make his Aston Villa debut against Brentford on Saturday. Goretzka signed as a free agent in the summer and missed pre-season after leaving Bayern Munich. The midfielder then picked up a knee injury in the build-up to facing Club Brugge in the Champions League. When asked if he could feature on Saturday, Emery said on Friday: “Not tomorrow.

"He is training with us on Monday and Thursday. I don’t know if he will be available on Wednesday. Hopefully, he can be ready in a few days to get this consistency of training and to be included in the squad. “Manzambi is young but he has personality. This is the next step forward that we must do. We can’t forget as well, Emi Buendia.”

Aston Villa trio Pau Torres, Brian Madjo and Leon Goretzka are all set to provide Unai Emery with a boost after the international break. Madjo suffered a setback after scoring on his senior debut for the club against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final back in August due to injury. Torres had not featured since September 12 after being forced off against Nottingham Forest.

Both Madjo and Torres featured in a friendly against Sevilla on October 2, which Villa won 3-1 away from home. Goretzka has not featured for the club since joining as a free agent this summer due to a knee injury. The German midfielder did not feature in the friendly. Matty Cash was substituted during Poland's match against Bosnia on October 5 but reports have suggested the injury is not serious.

Villa face Brentford in their return to Premier League football on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

Former Aston Villa defender James Collins has said he expects Man City’s punishment to be ‘very harsh’. Collins was at Villa from 2009-12, playing more than 100 Premier League games for the club. In 2009/10 they finished sixth, one place below City. They also lost some key players to them during that time, including Gareth Barry and James Milner.

“You look back at it now and you think what might have been, what could have happened,” Collins tells Sky Sports. “Every time we played City, I was just concentrating on not getting beat 10-0 at the time because they were that good.

“It’s clearly come out in the last couple of weeks what was going on and it does seem really unfair, but it was back then and I was the type of player to not dwell on things really and crack on. “It is what it is. I’m sure whatever comes City’s way, I think we all know it’s going to be very harsh. They’re probably going to throw the book at them for what’s happened, with a big fine and points deduction.

“It’s a bit of a mess and it’s going to be a tough one to sort out. It’d probably drag on for a long, long time.” Collins is also optimistic of a positive season for Villa, despite their squad upheaval in the summer. “There has been a lot of comings and goings and selling players,” he says. “I’m a big fan of the manager. I think he’s a great manager. He’s got the club going in the right direction.

They’re a strong team. Even though they’ve had players leave and new players come, they’re still a very, very strong team. “I’d be very surprised if they’re not in the top six, if not pushing higher than that again. Great football club, great players with a manager who, in my opinion, is top draw. “It won’t be easy.

There will be a lot of clubs I’m expecting to be a little bit better than they were last year, pushing for those places, but I can see Villa quite comfortably in the top six.” Collins is stepping into the ring at the next Misfits boxing event for his first ever bout on Saturday night at the age of 43. “It is a bit left field and a lot of people have been surprised by it,” he admits. “I’ve always loved my boxing.

I’ve always watched it and followed it, even when I was playing. “After football, since I retired, I’ve been going up to the gym, not sparring or anything like that, but just to keep fit. I know a lot of people in that world and there was a pullout from the even and I got the call.

“I say to a lot of people, I didn’t want to be sat there in two or three years’ time having a pint or chatting to the boys and thinking, ‘I had a chance to fight, step into the ring, something I’ve always wanted to do and I didn’t do it.’ “The call came and I had a chat to my family about it and a few people I know and I made the decision to do it. “I’ve absolutely loved it.

Back in the gym, purpose getting up, going in, eating better, healthy, feeling fit. I’ve absolutely loved it.” Collins played hundreds of games in the Premier League, but from all that time who would he consider to be his toughest opponent if they were both to step into the ring? “You look at Duncan Ferguson,” he says. “There are obviously stories of Duncan, he was a tough man. Big Andy Carroll.

You look at someone like Kevin Davies. The tussles and the fights you used to have with Kev were unbelievable. “When you look back at my playing career, every team seemed to have a lump or a boy who would be a bit more physical than they are now. Every game was tough. “Just because we’re footballers, it doesn’t mean we’re not tough boys.

You look back, there’s loads of them who would probably get in the ring and like to have a go.”

Emiliano Martinez has revealed why he chose to leave Aston Villa for Chelsea this summer. Juventus had been linked with a move for the Argentina goalkeeper but he would go on to join Chelsea in a deal worth £7. 5m. Villa had already signed Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for nearly £30m. Chelsea moved for Martinez due to doubts of previous first-choice option Robert Sanchez.

Martinez explained that he was eager to pursue a "fresh start" after defeat in the World Cup final against Spain in July.

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