Aston Villa have little to play for in their final 11 games of the Premier League season.

Having struggled during the early portion of the campaign under Steven Gerrard, the fact that they were one of the first to sack their manager meant they essentially had first pick of the other top coaches available.

They took Unai Emery from Villarreal and moved on with minimal fuss.

Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard has steered them well away from the relegation battle, and they essentially act as a buffer between the eight teams in a fight for survival and the rest of the league.

Whilst fans would have taken that given how things started, it essentially gives them a free hit in these games, safe in the knowledge that the teams below them are of nowhere near the quality to catch up and drag them back into the mire.

As such, Emery could seek to experiment in preparation for his first full season in charge at Villa Park, namely with some of the youth talent. Such an opportunity could have arisen from this international break, as Matty Cash has now been struck down with an injury.

How long is Matty Cash out for?

Having been substituted just nine minutes into Poland's clash with the Czech Republic, it was revealed that his calf strain was far worse than first feared. The 25-year-old is expected to miss at least his club's next three fixtures, with the ex-Nottingham Forest flyer labelling it as "so so frustrating". It does now leave a vacancy on the right side of the defence.

Whilst it might seem the natural option to just slide in the experienced Calum Chambers to occupy such a role, perhaps given the lack of jeopardy remaining in this season, instead Emery could opt for someone like Kaine Kesler-Hayden from the academy.

The 20-year-old does already boast one senior appearance, but a string of games in the Premier League would certainly do wonders for his development without really compromising the team.

After all, the youngster has been starring of late back with the U21 side, having been recalled from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town in January.

That period in the Championship may have not been smooth sailing, but it showed glimpses of the offensive full-back he sought to be. His 0.7 key passes and 0.6 shots per 90 (via Sofascore) outlined him as a moderate offensive threat, but supplying the red-hot Ollie Watkins could see this tally actually built upon. The English forward has seven goal contributions in his last eight games.

It was only last year that journalist Stewart James claimed that: "Villa have got a real talent in Kaine Kesler-Hayden – confidence & ability", and this is sure to have only grown.

With Cash playing such an important role in the Villans' system, his attacking impetus being key, employing someone like Chambers in his place is sure to quell that avenue. In his limited time on the pitch this season he has managed a 6.43 average rating, where he would not manage a single key pass and accumulated just 0.1 shot per game (via Sofascore).

At 28 years old too, the youth should certainly be prioritised when a unique opportunity like this presents itself.