Aston Villa winger Emiliano Buendia has dismissed suggestions that he was angry at not receiving any game time against Bologna earlier this week.
On Tuesday night, Villa continued their remarkable early form in the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over the Italian side in the West Midlands.
That result was achieved despite Unai Emery choosing to make four changes to his starting lineup, a rarity in Premier League and European matches this campaign.
However, Buendia was one of the players who did not make it onto the pitch, with Emery choosing to introduce many of the regulars that had initially dropped out of the team.
After the match, a Villa fan account on X suggested that Buendia stormed down the tunnel once it became apparent that he would remain as an unused substitute.
Buendia has since taken to social media to dispute that version of events, saying that he returned to the bench once he had been to the toilet.
Fair enough and if I didn't see you return hands up! Sorry!
— Aston Villa Updates (@avfcbreaking) October 24, 2024
I've also retweeted as an apology should be as public as the original tweet!
Would have been easier to just delete if it was ill intentioned!
People will jump and say caught out etc.
Just wrong so once again sorry about... https://t.co/3vMPUOPgkS
Can Buendia expect game time moving forward?
At a time when Villa were impressing in the Premier League and Conference League last season, Buendia was instead recovering from a season-long knee injury.
The 27-year-old was at risk of becoming one of the forgotten men of Emery's squad, yet he has worked his way back into the senior group.
A total of one start and five substitute outings have come in all competitions, Buendia completing the 90 minutes versus Wycombe Wanderers in an EFL Cup tie.
Frustratingly for the Argentine, he has received just 13 minutes spread across two substitute outings since that fixture on September 24.
On a positive note, Buendia can expect to earn his second start of the season within less than a week with Villa playing host to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup on October 30.
With that game coming four days before a trip to Tottenham Hotspur, Emery will almost certainly make mass changes with the EFL Cup at the bottom of their priority list for 2024-25.
Darren Plant
