Villa are set to face Walsall in a pre-season friendly, giving Unai Emery the chance to assess his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Pre-season friendlies offer managers valuable opportunities to experiment with different formations, rotations, and new signings before competitive fixtures begin.
Aston Villa have been one of England’s most ambitious clubs in recent seasons, competing at the highest level in both domestic and European competition.
A match against lower-league opposition like Walsall gives fringe players a vital platform to stake their claim for a place in the first-team picture.
Villa’s academy talent will also be hoping to catch the manager’s eye, as pre-season is traditionally the period when young players get their biggest opportunity.
Walsall, competing in the lower reaches of the English Football League, will view the fixture as a significant occasion and a fine test of their own preparations.
For the Saddlers, facing a Premier League side is a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition in a competitive but low-stakes environment.
Walsall’s manager will likely use the opportunity to bed in new additions and assess the squad’s fitness levels before the league season gets underway.
Pre-season friendlies between top-flight sides and lower-league clubs have long been a staple of the English football summer calendar, benefiting both parties.
Villa supporters will be eager to catch a glimpse of any new arrivals and to see how the squad is shaping up ahead of what promises to be another demanding season.
Both clubs will use the fixture to build match sharpness, with fitness and cohesion the primary objectives at this stage of pre-season preparation.
The game represents an important step in both clubs’ build-up, as the 2026 campaign edges ever closer and squads finalise their summer groundwork.
