Warriors star Marvelous Nakamba’s future at Aston Villa will depend on how he fares under new-appointed coach Unai Emery.

The Spaniard took charge of his first training session at Bodymoor Health yesterday after replacing sacked former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the Villa dugout.

Nakamba has not featured for the claret and blue this season, having been frozen out by Gerrard in very debatable circumstances.

The Hwange-bred midfield enforcer wanted to leave the Birmingham-based side on transfer deadline day back in August due to lack of opportunities but no move materialized.

Under Emery though, Nakamba, together with Morgan Sanson and Fredrick Guilbert, will be given a chance to stake their claims in the Villa team as the Spaniard masterminds the team’s revival.

Emery, at Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal, used a 4-4-2 formation. The 50-year old is expected to use the same setup at Villa.

It won’t be that smooth sailing though for Nakamba, who still has to fight for a place in the Villa engine room with Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, who is edging closer to a return, after recovering from a knee injury he picked up in September.

This will be a decisive period for Nakamba, who has to fight for his place in the Villa team before the next transfer window.