Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki played 45 minutes for Japan in their 2-1 victory over Venezuela after a rib problem kept him out against Uruguay. The summer signing has quickly become a key figure for Unai Emery and his return should ease concerns ahead of a huge October
Aston Villa appear to have received the reassurance they needed over Zion Suzuki after the goalkeeper played 45 minutes for Japan on Monday, seemingly putting to bed fears that the rib problem he carried into the international break could keep him out when club football returns.
Suzuki had missed Japan's 3-1 victory over Uruguay after being placed on an individual training programme because of the injury, which inevitably created some concern given how quickly he has established himself as Villa's first-choice goalkeeper. He returned to the squad for the 2-1 win over Venezuela and, having initially been named among the substitutes, came on at half-time to complete the game.
The fact Suzuki was trusted with 45 minutes rather than simply being included on the bench is the most encouraging part from a Villa perspective. Japan still have further fixtures during the international period, but his return to competitive action suggests the problem was relatively minor and there should now be little concern about his availability when Unai Emery's side return against Brentford on October 10.
That is particularly important because Suzuki has already become one of the most impressive parts of Villa's rebuilt team. Replacing Emi Martínez always looked like one of the most difficult tasks of the summer, but the 24-year-old has settled remarkably quickly, with his distribution immediately standing out as something that could actually add another dimension to Emery's side.
There is a range and speed to Suzuki's passing which allows Villa to bypass pressure in a way we haven't always seen before, but the Tottenham game also showed that there is much more to him than his ability with the ball. His saves during Spurs' strong first-half period were crucial in keeping Villa in the contest before they eventually won 3-2, with Emery afterwards highlighting both his shot-stopping and his ability to help Villa build from the back.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing has been how comfortable Suzuki looks with the responsibility. Martínez wasn't simply an excellent goalkeeper to replace; he was one of Villa's biggest personalities, which meant whoever followed him needed the confidence to make the position their own rather than constantly living in his shadow.
Suzuki has done exactly that so far and, after the concern created by his absence from Japan's first game of the break, seeing him back on the pitch for 45 minutes is another important piece of good news for Emery ahead of a huge October.
