Aston Villa were without star player Leon Bailey for their final game of the season against Crystal Palace, with Unai Emery now explaining why the Jamaican was not involved.
The season ended similarly to how it began for Aston Villa, as Unai Emery’s side conceded five goals on the final day, just as they did in the opener back in August.
Crystal Palace blew Villa away from the first whistle at Selhurst Park as the visitors still looked to be recovering from their Champions League celebrations earlier this week.
READ MORE: Aston Villa star accused of playing like it was a ‘seven-a-side’ game v Crystal Palace
While the result had no impact on the Villans’ season, having already secured fourth place, there was some disappointment that the thrilling 2023/24 calendar ended so disastrously.
There was lots to take from the game from a Villa point of view, with one question before kick-off being why Leon Bailey wasn’t involved in the fixture.
Why Leon Bailey didn’t play for Aston Villa against Crystal Palace
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Emery was quick to explain why Bailey was not in the squad, providing an update on those unexpectedly absent from the battle at Selhurst Park.
As relayed by journalist Jacob Tanswell, the Villa boss shared that the winger was ‘sick’ and therefore missed the game, also shedding light on why Emi Martinez didn’t feature.
“Unai Emery says Leon Bailey was sick and Emiliano Martinez was pushed through the Liverpool game with the hamstring injury he had sustained prior, so both were unable to play today.”
There were some doubts ahead of the game surrounding Bailey’s fitness, with the Jamaican seen playing with heavy strapping to his knee over the past few weeks, making his actual reason for missing out quite a surprise.
It’s reassuring to learn that the 26-year-old has not picked up an injury going into the summer, with the negative being that the former Bayer Leverkusen ace wasn’t able to add to his tally on the final day.
Leon Bailey had an outstanding season at Aston Villa
Starting the season on the bench was not what Bailey would have hoped however, it was a decision made by Emery that proved to be fundamental to both his player and the club.
On raising his performance to reclaim his place in the starting XI, the Jamaica international played some of his best football throughout this season, ending the Premier League calendar with 19 goal contributions.
A strong summer will be necessary for the winger to continue where he left off next season, with his hard work and talent prevailing to be his strong point this campaign, proving many doubters wrong with his redemption at Villa Park.
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