Emery expresses relief as Rashford reaches a milestone appearance.
- Ayda Salem
- 21 minutes ago
- 2 min read
LONDON April 5, 2025: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expressed his happiness for Marcus Rashford as the England forward prepares to make his 500th career appearance.
Rashford, who joined Villa on loan from Manchester United, has enjoyed a strong run of form, scoring three goals in his last two matches. He is now set to make his 12th appearance for Villa in Saturday’s home match against Nottingham Forest, after making 426 appearances for United and earning 62 caps for England.
“Happy for him,” Emery said. “Happy because he is achieving individual goals, playing matches with us. We just want him to enjoy himself here, feel comfortable every day, train, play, and work together with his teammates to achieve success, perform at his best, and build confidence.”
Villa are aiming for their seventh consecutive win in all competitions against high-flying Midlands rivals Forest as they look to maintain an impressive season. They reached the FA Cup semifinals with a win at Preston on Sunday, and their 3-0 victory at Brighton on Wednesday moved them within four points of the top four with eight games left.
Emery could have a full-strength squad to face Forest, with Ross Barkley recovering from a long-term knee injury and Leon Bailey set for a late fitness test. Emery emphasized the importance of returning players for the remainder of the season, saying, “We don’t have time to explain much about how we are playing a lot of matches now, but we are very important in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.”
He continued, “With players coming back, we are feeling stronger. Earlier in the season, we struggled with injuries and some players not being physically fit, which hindered our objectives. Now, with more players available for Saturday's match, I’m happy because my plan is to compete for 90 minutes and meet the demands of the opponent.