ASTON VILLA will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals TONIGHT – pitting Marco Asensio against his parent club.
After joining Aston Villa on loan from PSG in January, Asensio – a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid – has been in sensational form.
The Spanish international has EIGHT goals and an assist in just 15 matches.
Along with the loan signing of Marcus Rashford, Asensio has helped Unai Emery’s side become one of the most in-form teams in Europe.
Villa have lost just ONCE in 12 matches since Asensio’s debut on February 9.
They head into this game as underdogs, however, with PSG losing just once since November.
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Can Marco Asensio play for Aston Villa in the Champions League against parent club PSG?
Asensio has already played for PSG in this season’s competition.
That has lead to questions about if he will be able to play against his parent club – with Premier League rules usually prohibiting such instances.
However, Uefa rules are different to those in the Premier League.
That means Asensio WILL be available for selection against PSG.
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In contrast, Marcus Rashford will not be able to play against Manchester United in May, and Axel Disasi, another loan signing, was not allowed to play against Chelsea in February.
A notable example in the past of players eligibility against current sides was Thibaut Courtois, who was on loan at Atletico Madrid and Chelsea.
Atletico reaching the final after defeating Jose Mourinho’s team, Uefa decided that Chelsea could not block Courtois from playing against them
The governing body stated “clubs are not allowed to exert “any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match.”
Emery, who led the French team from 2016 to 2018 before departing at the end of his contract, will benefit from Asensio’s availability to play against PSG in the quarterfinals.
After joining PSG in the summer of 2023, Asensio could not reach the promise of his Real Madrid career, and he left the squad under Enrique before joining Villa.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
