Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has acknowledged that he will need to consider regular squad rotation after his side were held to a goalless draw by Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
After the high of defeating Bayern Munich in the Champions League, there was anticipation of Villa doing the same against an out-of-form United outfit.
Despite there being no shortage of goals in the recent matches of either side, they each contributed to what was ultimately a damp squib.
Both teams had their opportunities in the final 20 minutes, Bruno Fernandes striking the crossbar with a free kick and Jaden Philogene seeing a goalbound effort superbly blocked by Diogo Dalot.
Nevertheless, neither side could have any complaints as they earned a share of the spoils that is not the worst outcome for either side given their respective situations and recent efforts in Europe.
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What did Emery have to say?
As well as having travelled to Ipswich Town and defeated Bayern Munich in the space of a few days, Villa have also had to contend with several injury issues.
Emery has admitted that their recent efforts played their part in a below-par showing on Sunday, the Spaniard hinting that he will have to call upon his entire squad if Villa are to achieve their goals this season.
Speaking to Match of the Day, Emery said: "It is not the best result but it's not the worst. I think a draw is fair.
"We played the second half much better than the first and at the end we were close to winning the match. We had two chances at the end of the game, we tried to score but couldn't. I think a draw is fair.
"Maybe today we needed some refreshed players. And we have some players injured. But the players we have they respond really well.
"We will need the players helping. We prepared this match trying to win, we didn't do it but we have to be overall happy with this month, how we are in the table and what we are trying to build."
He added: "We can have some days off and we can recover our energy and try to push in the next month.
"We are being demanding and competing very well. We are happy in the Champions League, and happy of course in the Carabao Cup. We're going to play seven matches in the next month. We have to stay competitive like we are now and being demanding."
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What next for Villa
Villa head into the October international break sitting in fifth place in the standings, four points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
They do not return to action until squaring off at Fulham on October 19, three days before playing host to Bologna in the Champions League.
Darren Plant
