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Unai Emery is blessed to have two high-quality strikers to work with at Aston Villa in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.

In fact, the duo are also lucky to be working with a manager of Emery’s calibre because of where he can their careers.

Watkins has already transformed under Emery and now Duran is joining that ride after his explosive start to the new season.

What’s even better is that Duran has now signed a new contract at Villa and now the Midlands club can look towards the long-term.

In terms of goalscoring, the club don’t have much to worry about because they have an England international on their books and South America’s next breakout star.

But, for the here and now, there has been a lot of talk about Watkins and Duran needing to start together.

As of this moment, Emery has resisted that temptation, even though Aston Villa have had to deal with high-profile matches in the Premier League and the Champions League.

When Duran is coming off the bench and scoring the winner against Bayern Munich, then those cries will only get louder.

But, according to Stephen Warnock, it may never work, even though Duran has scored five winning goals in all competitions this term.

The former left-back highlighted his ‘big fear’ with the two and how they wouldn’t be able to play that role of dropping back, turning with the ball, driving forward and feeding the ball through, as he told The Football Show on Sky Sports (07/10/24 at 10:15 am).

Why Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran starting together won’t work

“My big fear about them two playing up top is with them two playing up top is, if you think of Ollie Watkins’ game over the last few years under Unai Emery,” said Warnock. “He has always had a player, whether it was Diaby, McGinn, Buendia, Leon Bailey, Ramsey and then Morgan Rogers.

“You always have a player who is able to get into pockets of space and run with the ball. Also, be able to deliver the next pass or be that player. I don’t see Watkins being able to play that deeper role, turn on the ball and drive at players, then pick out passes. He doesn’t want to be that player. That takes away from his strengths, which is playing on the shoulder.

“I don’t see Duran doing it either. I don’t think he is that type of player, who can come deep, pick the ball up and start to run at players. You almost have similar players in the way that they play and the strengths of them. It’s almost one or the other, plus Rogers or McGinn when he is fit. I don’t think it suits the system them two playing up top. They struggled against Manchester United playing up top. It was, who is going to make the runs? They both want to make the same runs.”

Aston Villa don’t need Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran starting together

If Villa weren’t in Europe, then you could increase the volume of wanting the duo to start, but they have two difficult games every week now.

Watkins simply can’t cope with starting all of those matches and then also going on England duty.

Rotation of some form is needed and that’s where Emery needs to be wise in knowing when to introduce Duran into the starting XI.

READ MORE: Aston Villa goalkeeper ‘unable to join’ international team alongside Ezri Konsa

Villa face Fulham straight after the international break, and then they face Bologna in the Champions League, before another home tie against Bournemouth.

You don’t want a situation where Watkins and Duran are starting all those matches because, down the line, you will end up tiring them out.

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