Unai Emery offers latest on Aston Villa fitness doubts ahead of Nottingham Forest clash

Unai Emery will run the rule over Villa duo Matty Cash and Johan Manzambi before Saturday’s visit of Nottingham Forest.

Villa, victorious in the Champions League in Club Brugge in midweek, return to Premier League action with a home clash against Oliver Glasner’s side.

Right-back Cash missed the win in Belgium due to muscle soreness felt late on in the goalless draw away to Hull City last weekend. The Poland international is set to train on Friday afternoon and Emery will make a decision on whether Cash will be available to face his former club on Saturday.

“It is difficult but we will train now this afternoon and we will check him to see if he is getting better,” Emery said.

“It is a small injury that he needed some days and today we are going to test him.”

Swiss summer recruit Manzambi is yet to feature in a Villa matchday squad due to a knee injury sustained playing in the summer’s World Cup.

The £51million attacker has trained this week, however, and could be pushing for a first appearances in Emery’s matchday ranks.

The boss added: “Manzambi is progressively getting better, he’s training with us this week.

“How he is going to train today and how he feels for tomorrow is the decision I am going to take after training.”

Also yet to taste his first minutes for the club is £47m deadline day signing Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old is still getting up to speed in the early weeks of his time at Villa. Emery said: “(Mbaye) is the same - like other players.

“He joined us 10 days ago, two weeks ago, he is progressively knowing us and getting better in our structure, how we want to play offensively and defensively.

“We set our standard high, to work each one with the necessary way we need. He’s in this process. He needs now to be patient, have minutes playing and show his capacity to help us with his qualities and in our structure, collectively and tactically.”