Blow for Roy Keane! Man Utd icon's son-in-law AXED from Aston Villa Champions League squad after declaring excitement for European football

Emery made the bold decision to exclude defender Harwood-Bellis from Aston Villa’s 25-man squad for the upcoming Champions League league phase. The shock omission comes a mere 48 hours after the centre-back finalised his £25m move from Southampton on transfer deadline day.

Villa brought in the 24-year-old - who married Manchester United legend Keane's daughter, Leah, earlier this summer - to reinforce their defensive ranks following Ezri Konsa's £55m departure to Premier League champions Arsenal. However, Harwood-Bellis and fellow arrival Modou Keba Cisse were both left off the European list, alongside teenage forward Brian Madjo, who netted in Villa's recent Super Cup defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

Conversely, Emery found space for nine other new recruits in his selection, including high-profile additions Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Leon Goretzka, Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho, and Joao Gomes.

The omission is a bitter blow for Harwood-Bellis, who had expressed immense enthusiasm about testing himself in Europe during his unveiling interview on Tuesday.

Speaking in a video posted on Villa’s official X account before learning of his exclusion, the centre-half admitted: "I think when I knew first of all the club in general being such a prestigious Premier League club and then you have the added bonus of the Champions League is something that doesn't fill me with anything but excitement."

He added: "I can'wait to get out there and show that I can hopefully do it on the biggest stage. We've seen the success the club's had in Europe, winning the Europa League and going so far in the Champions League, giving PSG probably their hardest game that season was massive. So yeah, I know that the club can relish in Europe and hopefully go a step further."

Villa's busy summer window saw substantial squad rotation, forcing Emery to make difficult tactical decisions when submitting his final roster to UEFA. While nine new faces were successfully registered for the competition, Harwood-Bellis finds himself as the most prominent casualty of squad size restrictions. The former Southampton man was recruited to help fill the void left by Konsa, but Emery's decision leaves Villa navigating the opening stage of Europe's premier tournament without him.

Aston Villa kick off their Champions League league-phase campaign next Tuesday with an away fixture against Belgian side Club Brugge. Harwood-Bellis will be forced to watch from the sidelines and focus strictly on domestic action for the duration of the initial phase.

However, his European dream at Villa Park is not entirely over. Should Emery's side qualify for the knockout stages, UEFA rules allow clubs to register up to three additional players, offering Harwood-Bellis a second chance at inclusion later in the campaign.