Aston Villa have a number of attacking players in their team which was only bolstered further when Steven Gerrard signed former teammate, Philippe Coutinho on a loan deal from Barcelona last month.

The Villa boss will have a task on his hand in future selections to make sure he is playing the very best forward line possible in the remaining months of the season, with many of the attackers showing they have what it takes to start for the side, and one of those players is Bertrand Traore.

Despite being out for Aston Villa with a thigh injury and only making seven appearances for the club this season, Traore returned to full fitness ahead of AFCON, captaining Burkina Faso with the 25-year-old leading his nation to a semi-final finish in which they lost to tournament champions, Senegal.

Traore was instrumental in the competition for his country, with an opening goal in the 28th minute against Gabon to help the side seal a place in the quarter-finals, where they then beat Tunisia, despite going down to ten men in the latter stages.

The forward will certainly have a spring in his step following his return to playing football regularly during AFCON, and Gerrard must unleash him in the Villa side when they return to Premier League action to capitalise on the confidence and drive he has shown during his time away.

The £18m-rated star who was hailed "very clever" by former manager Gus Hiddink, will have a task on his hands to impress his Liverpudlian manager when the opportunity arises for him to play in the team.

Emi Buendia has really picked up his form in recent weeks, and there is no room for error in a squad full of hungry attacking players desperate to seal their place in the starting eleven.

The right winger has been impactful in the past for Aston Villa, with eight goals and seven assists in just 45 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every two games, and this is something that will surely come into consideration along with his form for his national side that should put him good stead for a chance in the starting side for his club.

It is not certain whether Traore will be available to play in Wednesday night's clash against Leeds United since he played in the third-place play off against Cameroon on Saturday, but an appearance in the side in the near future could be a worthwhile opportunity for both the manager and the player if freshening up the forward line is something to be considered.

He could just offer a tasty alternative to Buendia on the flanks.

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