Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed that summer signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis and academy prospect Brian Madjo will not feature in the club's squad for the league phase of this season's Champions League, describing the choice as a difficult one.
Harwood-Bellis completed a deadline-day move to Villa Park from Southampton in a deal reported to be worth an initial £25million, immediately becoming one of the club's most eye-catching additions of the summer window. Despite the size of the investment, the defender will have to wait before he can make his European debut for the club.
Madjo, just 17 years old, had given supporters a glimpse of his potential when he netted Villa's equaliser in their 2-1 Super Cup defeat to Paris St-Germain back in August. That goal remains his only involvement for the first team this campaign, with Emery revealing the young forward is currently sidelined through injury and will remain unavailable for at least a further two weeks.
Speaking ahead of Villa's Premier League trip to Hull, Emery acknowledged the emotional toll such decisions carry, both for him as a coach and for the players affected.