Martinez much impressed as Engels adapts to Prem’s pace
TYRONE Mings is not the only Villa centreback in line for international recognition.
Mings’ imperious earlyseason form for his club earned the powerful defender a first England call-up.
He and Villa team-mate Tom Heaton are in the squad for this week’s Euro 2020 qualifying win over Kosovo in Southampton, although neither will start with Gareth Southgate due to select his best 11 against arguably England’s toughest opponent in Group A.
They are among seven Villa players away on national service and that figure could grow at the next round of international fixtures in October.
Bjorn Engels, Mings’ reliable partner in the centre of defence, is strongly tipped for a first call-up to the Belgium squad.
Former Everton and Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has been encouraged by the way Engels has so quickly adapted to English football and the pace of the Premier League since signing from French club Reims in the summer.
It’s claimed Martinez only opted against calling him up this month because of fitness
concerns. Engels picked up a minor knock to his knee against Everton before playing the full 90 minutes at Crystal Palace.
Martinez thought it best to let him recover rather than rush him into the international set-up.
The 24-year-old only joined Villa in July, but has made a big impression in his first four Premier League outings.
He was arguably Villa’s best player on the opening day at Tottenham before putting in a top-drawer display in the Villa Park victory over Everton.
Martinez will make further checks on the 6ft 4ins defender, who has represented the Red Devils from Under-17s through to Under-21s, in the coming weeks.
Engels could get his big break at senior international level when Belgium face a double-header against San Marino and Kazakhstan next month.
Martinez’s men, who twice beat England to finish third at last year’s World Cup, round off their Euro 2020 qualification campaign against Russia and Cyprus in November.
Meanwhile, Keinan Davis is set to be offered a new deal at Villa as he enters the final year of his contract.
The young striker, who made the breakthrough into the first team under Steve Bruce in 2017, signed for Villa’s youth side in 2015 after being released by Stevenage and having a spell at nonleague Biggleswade.
He scored in emphatic away wins at Barnsley and Burton as Villa put a promotion push together, but fell down the pecking order last season after the arrival of loan star Tammy Abraham.
Davis has, though, featured in three games already this season, including the 6-1 Carabao Cup win at Crewe, in which he found the net.
The 21-year-old is believed to have admirers elsewhere, including Premier League rivals Brighton, with whom he has been linked previously.
A host of Championship clubs were also understood to be willing to take Davis off Villa’s hands on a loan basis this season, prior to the window closing.
Villa head coach Dean Smith is a big fan of Davis and is keen to tie him down to a new long-term contract.
Davis’ terms are set to expire at the end of the season, having signed his last deal in November 2017. He has made 47 appearances for Villa to date, and scored four times.