Manchester United loanee Axel Tuanzebe has started five Championship games at right-back for Aston Villa this season.
Is the answer to Aston Villa’s centre-back shortage right under Steve Bruce’s nose?
After losing John Terry and Chris Samba over the summer, not to mention loaning Tommy Elphick to Hull City, Mile Jedinak has been forced to drop in alongside James Chester in the centre of defence in the first few weeks of the new Championship season.
But the fact that Axel Tuanzebe is not being given a chance in arguably his most natural position remains a little baffling to some.
The Manchester United loanee has started five of six Championship games for Aston Villa in 2018/19 but they have all come at right-back. Surely Tuanzebe, a powerful and athletic defender, would be better off partnering Chester than Jedinak, who looked out of his depth in the 4-1 thrashing at Sheffield United.
Shifting Tuanzebe across would hardly weaken Villa on the right side either. Alan Hutton, who was one of their most consistent performers last season, could step up at full-back while Bruce can also call upon James Bree or Ritchie de Laet.
Bruce has been scouring the free-agent market with Terry tipped to return, while Robert Huth and James Collins have also been linked. But is Tuanzebe the obvious answer?
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