According to The Athletic, the forward who signed from Borussia Dortmund this winter is left feeling bitter as manager Unai Emery favoured Rashford as they head into the next stage of the Champions League. Malen told reporters after his move that playing in the Champions League was "very important" to him when deciding to sign for Villa
"It’s a big thing, the Champions League. It’s the biggest competition in the world. I played in it for the last few years so for me it was a very important thing when deciding to move. This is where you want to play."
Emery recently commented on the choice which is always a difficult decision to make especially when a top player will always miss out.
"It was not easy, the conversation with him. It is not fair but the rules pushed us to take the decision and I explained to him why we took it. Of course, he accepted but it is not easy for him to be with us now and not playing in the Champions League."
Villa qualified for the knockout rounds of the current campaign's competition with an eighth-place finish in the new league format and with the addition of Rashford to their forward line could become an even deadlier force going forward. However, despite their evolving attack, Malen’s frustrations are a tricky situation for Emery heading into the second half of the season.