Taylor Harwood-Bellis has already found himself in the spotlight just days after completing his move to Aston Villa.

The England international joined Villa Park from Southampton on deadline day in a deal worth around £30 million.

The 24-year-old has been viewed by many as Unai Emery’s long-term replacement for Ezri Konsa, and the backing of the Villa manager suggests the club see significant potential in the defender.

There is an expectation that Harwood-Bellis will eventually establish himself as Pau Torres’ regular partner at the heart of Villa’s defence as the season progresses.

That is why the latest development involving the centre-back has raised so many questions, particularly with the Champions League group stage fast approaching.

Who Is in Aston Villa’s Champions League Squad?

Replacing a player of Konsa’s quality and experience was never going to be straightforward.

Rather than signing an established star, Emery appears to have opted for a player with room to develop in Harwood-Bellis.

However, the decision to leave the former Southampton defender out of Villa’s Champions League squad has come as a surprise and may suggest he is not yet fully trusted.

The 23-man squad, published on UEFA’s official website, includes Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres as the club’s recognised centre-backs.

That has left many supporters puzzled and searching for an explanation.

One possibility is that Villa missed the registration deadline following Harwood-Bellis’ late move to the club, although Ibrahim Mbaye’s inclusion appears to cast doubt on that theory.

Whatever the reason, it leaves Emery with questions to answer, and there may have been difficult discussions behind the scenes at Bodymoor Heath.

Does Taylor Harwood-Bellis Deserve a Place?

It remains difficult to judge exactly where Harwood-Bellis fits into Emery’s plans until he is given a consistent run of matches.

The defender arrives after a season in the Championship, but he produced several impressive performances for Southampton.

His return of seven goals and two assists is particularly notable and could offer Villa an additional threat from set-pieces if he can reproduce those numbers.

Harwood-Bellis’ defensive statistics were equally encouraging, with the centre-back recording 404 defensive actions and winning 239 duels during the campaign.

He also completed 2,498 passes at an accuracy rate of 85.7 per cent, suggesting he possesses the qualities required to fit into Emery’s possession-based approach.

That is what makes his omission from the Champions League squad all the more surprising and leaves a number of questions that Villa supporters will want answered.