Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has finalized his squad for the Champions League knockout stage, with Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia missing out.
Despite arriving in January—Malen for €23 million from Borussia Dortmund and Garcia for £7 million from Levante—neither player made the cut.
![Unai Emery Makes Huge Champions League Squad Decision for Aston Villa 146 Donyell Malen (photo credit: Getty)](https://www.softfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GettyImages-2197119782-bec4.jpg)
UEFA rules allow only three new registrations, and Emery has opted for Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Axel Disasi.
He admitted it was a difficult call but necessary due to the club’s busy transfer window. Villa will face one of Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Sporting CP, or Club Brugge in the last 16.