Emery on working with Jackson
The game will see Jackson and Emery reunite with the pair having worked together for a season at Villarreal before the Senegal international made a £32m switch to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
Emery actually gave Jackson his Villarreal debut and the 23-year-old also thanked his former boss when he signed his new two year contract extension earlier this year.
The Villa boss has been speaking about Jackson in the build-up to the game and revealed what aspects of his game they worked on and praised his “fantastic” attitude.
Jackson and Emery worked together at Villarreal. (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
“He was starting the pre-season with the U21s and when he was progressively coming to train with us, he was showing his potential,” Emery told Sky Sports.
“We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, how he could exploit his potential. And playing minutes and getting experiences was the next step.
“But his attitude as well was fantastic. He was always learning. He was always demanding to train more, to be focused. He was also being a professional every day out of training sessions at home because he was focused on football like the first priority in his life.