Aston Villa have confirmed that Viljami Sinisalo has returned to the club early following his loan stint with Burton Albion.
The 21-year-old joined Burton on a season-long loan deal last summer, and it had been hoped that he would get a chance to gain valuable experience and playing time.
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However, he was limited to just eight appearances with the League One side, and so Villa have made the decision to recall him – as confirmed in a club statement – and will potentially now look for a more suitable solution elsewhere.
Sinisalo penned a new contract with Villa prior to making the temporary move to Burton, and so it’s clear that the club regard him highly and hope he will go on to be a key member of the first-team squad moving forward.
Time will tell if Unai Emery wishes to keep him at Bodymoor Heath now and provide depth, or if he will be sent out on loan again until the end of the season with a better landing spot hopefully lined up for him.
The goalkeeping position has been a topic of discussion this week for Villa, with Emi Martinez returning last week after enjoying his World Cup success with Argentina, but Robin Olsen continued to deputise for him in the win over Tottenham on Sunday.
The expectation is that our Argentine No.1 will come back into the Villa starting XI against Wolves in midweek, but with Jed Steer still working his way back from a long-term injury, additional depth could be needed in that department.
That’s where Sinisalo could step in and play a role, but Emery will no doubt assess the situation carefully and work closely with his staff to ensure that if the young shot-stopper does move away temporarily again, that it’s a better fit this time round where he’ll get more playing opportunities which will ensure it’s a more productive spell.