Alejandro Garnacho’s attempt to reset his career at Villa Park has taken an awkward turn, with Unai Emery making clear the winger is not yet in position to claim a regular role.

After Villa’s Carabao Cup win over Coventry City, Emery offered a stark assessment. Garnacho, he said, must “work, work, train, work.” He added that the 22-year-old needs to “try and play well” when chances arrive, but also stressed that there are “players in front of him now.”

That has left Garnacho in a difficult spot. He was on the bench against Coventry even with Emery rotating heavily, and his recent involvement suggests he is slipping further down the order. Across Villa’s first three Premier League matches, he managed only 31 minutes. Last weekend, in the loss to Nottingham Forest, he was an unused substitute.

Emery explained that Garnacho is “a little bit behind” because of some “[injury] circumstances we had in preseason,” adding: “It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”

The competition around him is not helping. Emery praised George Hemmings as “fantastic,” said Alysson is improving his “understanding” and is “giving us things I want,” and noted that Ibrahim Mbaye “also responded well.” The numbers underline the picture: Hemmings has played 540 minutes in all competitions, Alysson 137, Mbaye 91, while Garnacho has only 31.

Villa’s broader situation only sharpens the problem. Even while results remain poor, Garnacho is still not starting. At 22, and with several seasons of Premier League experience, he should be setting the standard rather than chasing it.

Garnacho arrived after leaving Manchester United in 2025 for Chelsea, but his spell there did not convince. He made 43 appearances, started only 14 league games, and half of his eight goals came in the Carabao Cup. He was later omitted from the 2026 World Cup after not receiving a call-up in almost two years.

When his loan move from Chelsea was completed in July, reports said the buy obligation was conditional but “easily achievable.” That detail now feels more uncomfortable than ever.

Michael Carrick has stressed that the priority in the JJ Gabriel situation must be the teenager’s welfare, wellbeing and exposure, as the debate around the 15-year-old intensifies.

The latest twist is believed to stem from Gabriel’s frustration over limited first-team involvement. He made an unofficial appearance from the bench in preseason, but that remains his only senior involvement so far. The forward is regarded as a major talent, while attention has also turned to his father, Joe O’Cearuill, after allegations of difficult behaviour resurfaced this week. One claim is that Gabriel’s name was changed to make him more marketable.

When it emerged that Gabriel wanted to leave Manchester United, it was suggested Carrick had intended to give him a record-breaking debut against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. That did not materialise, and it would have been difficult for the manager to do so anyway after United let a 2-0 lead slip and were forced into a frantic search for an equaliser.

Carrick had already spoken to the media before the game, so his post-match comments at Old Trafford were the first chance to address the sudden attention around Gabriel. He avoided discussing the player’s quality or whether his future may lie elsewhere, instead focusing on the fact that the boy’s image has now spread widely.

“I think we’ve got to be really careful of the whole situation,” Carrick, whose own son, Jacey, is in the United academy and a year older than Gabriel.

“He’s a young boy, and the biggest thing for me, and for the club, is his welfare, wellbeing and exposure. I think all of us have to be really conscious of that in this situation.”

The safeguarding concerns are real. Gabriel requires separate changing facilities from senior players, and his age places him among only three players to have featured in 34 Premier League seasons at 15.

United can still delay matters by refusing to cancel his registration, though his academy deal runs until the end of the season. From next season, the usual route would be a first-year scholar place, with professional terms available when he turns 17 in the second year. A move abroad could come sooner, however, because Irish and Cypriot heritage may allow him access to EU passports. That gives Real Madrid a notable advantage, should he head to Spain when he turns 16 next month.

Michael Carrick’s early spell in charge has already been marked by frustration, and the latest setback has only intensified the scrutiny. A poor opening-day loss to Hull City set an uneasy tone, before victories over Ipswich Town and Sabah FK briefly offered relief. That improvement did not last long.

United’s collapse from 2-0 up at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night pushed the situation to a new low. After the final whistle, Carrick admitted: “We’ve gone out of the cup tonight, and the feeling around the place feels bigger than that,” as the sense of unease around the club deepened further.

He was then booed off by the supporters who remained to see the end of a 3-2 defeat, although Carrick tried to lower the temperature. “I don’t feel under pressure,” he said. Even so, the schedule now offers little room for error. If United cannot find a response soon, the next few weeks could become increasingly uncomfortable for the manager.

The immediate chance to recover comes on Sunday with a visit to Fulham’s Craven Cottage. United then face Tottenham at Old Trafford before the fixtures turn quickly to Europe and back again, with Atlético Madrid away, Leeds away and Como away also on the list.

Carrick insisted there is still belief within the squad. “Of course we can turn it around, we have got some really good players,” he said. “It feels bad because we haven’t had a great week or two, or three weeks.”

Fulham, meanwhile, have also struggled. Álvaro Arbeloa has taken just one point from his first four Premier League matches, and his side have conceded heavily despite showing plenty of ambition in the final third. United will know this is a match that could swing either way, but they also know failure to win would make the international break feel much longer than it should.