Aston Villa face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday evening which could hand one player the perfect chance to impress.

Unai Emery has two pre-season friendlies remaining until competitive action recommences for his Aston Villa squad.

The Villans will be eager to right their wrongs against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night following what unfolded in the United States.

In the States, Villa lost all three of the games they played, conceding seven goals and scoring only once on the tour.

One player who will be eager to impress against the Spanish side is Youri Tielemans, who returned to the squad in the States following his time at Euro 2024.

During the Euros, Ian Wright described Tielemans as a 'big-game player', a label the Belgian will hope to maintain throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

MORE VILLA STORIESFor Tielemans, the fixture against Athletic Bilbao should be approached with great importance following what the midfielder endured at the start of last season.

It took the former Leicester City ace until matchday 12 of the league season to grasp a spot in the starting XI, seeing him publically express his dissatisfaction at a lack of game time.

In a pre-match press conference whilst on international duty in 2023, Tielemans admitted his start to life at Villa was "not pleasant", with the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign being something he'd like to avoid.

Against Athletic Bilbao, the 27-year-old has the chance to solidify his spot in Emery's XI ahead of the opening day.

Increased competition for Tielemans to contend with This summer, Villa have welcomed an influx of new midfielders, including Tielemans' national team partner Amadou Onana.

During the Euros, the pair were praised for their ability to combine well in a pivot, which Emery should be inspired to replicate in claret and blue.

In the instance that Tielemans excels alongside Onana against Athletic, the manager could lock down his favoured midfield combination for the start of the campaign.

The former Leicester man has the opportunity to impress against the Spanish side and could capitalise on the huge decision that awaits Emery in the position.

With Douglas Luiz gone and Boubacar Kamara injured, the boss will have to reconsider his pivot for the season ahead, which Tielemans could steer in his favour with a strong pre-season display.

It will be interesting to see how Emery lines up against Athletic, as the mystery of who Onana's partner will be remains unsolved.

.