Aston Villa's 4-2 preseason defeat to Real Sociedad on Tuesday will have unsettled manager Unai Emery, but the glimpses of talent on show offered encouragement ahead of what promises to be a transformative campaign for the Europa League holders.

Madjo catches the eye

The standout moment came from teenage striker Brian Madjo, whose equaliser to make it 2-2 in the 56th minute showcased the predatory instincts that convinced Villa to sign him from Metz for £10 million in January. At 6ft 4in, the England Under-17 international has already drawn comparisons to Belgium's Romelu Lukaku, and his physicality caused problems for Real Sociedad's defenders throughout the encounter.

Madjo's involvement in competitive football for Villa, however, remains on hold. The club are awaiting the outcome of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to register the 17-year-old, who was born in London but holds three caps for Luxembourg. Under-18s are prohibited from completing international transfers, though Villa argue Madjo's London birthplace should exempt him from the regulation. FIFA does permit certain exemptions for minor players — including transfers within the European Union for those aged 16 or 17 — but the UK's exit from the EU complicates Villa's case.

Should the appeal succeed, Villa fans could be treated to the sight of the powerful youngster appearing in the Premier League before the end of the calendar year. In the meantime, Emery has the chance to develop him quietly out of the spotlight, with Ollie Watkins still on post-World Cup rest and Tammy Abraham working his way back from a shoulder injury.

A busy summer at Villa Park

The match also featured 19-year-old midfielder George Hemmings, who opened the scoring before Real Sociedad hit back through Carlos Soler. Orri Oskarsson, Gorka Carrera, and Inaki Ruperez completed the scoring for the La Liga side. Centre-back Modou Cisse, who joined from LASK last summer and spent last season on loan with the Austrian club, was also among those who featured.

Emery's frustration was evident during the first half, with the Villa head coach visibly animated on the touchline as he attempted — with limited success — to direct Madjo and Hemmings to stretch the play wider. Winger Alejandro Garnacho, who arrived on loan from Chelsea last week, was absent from the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium but is expected to join the squad for their tour of Indonesia.

Villa's World Cup contingent — including Watkins, Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Victor Lindelof, Emi Martinez, and record signing Johan Manzambi — were all absent, as was Joao Gomes. Amadou Onana's serious knee injury rules him out until next year, while the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers have added to a hectic transfer window. Lucas Digne's move to Paris St-Germain is also yet to be officially confirmed.

Villa's preseason schedule continues with a match against Indonesia All-Stars on Saturday, followed by BG Pathum United the following Tuesday, before a showdown with Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on 7 August. The squad returns for the Super Cup against Paris St-Germain in Salzburg on 12 August — and from that point, Emery's preparations shift into a higher gear.