Aston Villa boss shares reasoning on new signing's Champions League omission and Johan Manzambi fitness latest

Unai Emery insists he is satisfied with the balance of his squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign after leaving out new recruit Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

England international Harwood-Bellis completed a £25million from Southampton on deadline day but was omitted from the squad of 23 confirmed this week for European action.

The 24-year-old was left out along with injured striker Brian Madjo and promising centre-back Modou Keba Cisse.

Emery said on Friday the Champions League squad - which kick off their campaign at Club Brugges in Belgium next Tuesday - has enough cover in Harwood-Bellis’ centre-back department, with Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara able to deputise if required.

“It is hard, the decision we took, and for the players,” Emery said at his press conference ahead of Saturday evening’s clash at Hull City.

“The experience we have here, when we were without (Donyell) Malen, Andres (Garcia).

“To decide, it is through the analysis of how we are expecting to be until January. We are going to play eight matches. Cisse is not in because he is injured. Madjo is still injured for the next two weeks minimum.

“Taylor arrived as the last one (signing), and we can get the balance with Lamare Bogarde, and we can even play Kamara. We tried to analyse it deeply.”

Emery added Harwood-Bellis has future prospects of top European football with Villa. He said: “Taylor will be here for a long time, and hopefully, we will have the opportunity to play in Europe with us, in January maybe, and the next few years.

“Madjo is 17 years old and is so, so young. He will have, for sure, more opportunities to play with us this year and the next years in Europe.”

Emery revealed, meanwhile, that summer signing Johan Manzambi is nearing fitness.

The Swiss attacking star, 20, checked in for a deal worth almost £60million from Freiburg but picked up a knee injury during the World Cup.

Manzambi could make a return to contention for the home Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday week. He will not feature at Hull and is unlikely to make a comeback in Belgium.