Emi Buendia vowed it is just the start for him at Aston Villa despite his plans to travel for international duty.
Forward Buendia and goalkeeper Emi Martinez will link up with Argentina for their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia next month.
They are willing to go against the wishes of their club and the Premier League’s directive of refusing to release players.
Under current Covid-19 guidance, without an exemption, they will be forced to quarantine for 10 days on their return and would miss Villa’s Premier League games against Chelsea and Everton and most likely the Carabao Cup trip to Stamford Bridge on September 21.
The Premier League stated this week clubs had unanimously decided not to release players for international games played in red list countries. Argentina play in Venezuela and Brazil before facing Bolivia at home. All are red list countries.
Buendia scored his first Villa goal since a record £33million move from Norwich to secure a 1-1 comeback draw with Brentford on Saturday.
He told Villa TV: “To score my first goal for the club, at Villa Park, with the fans, the whole stadium full, is an amazing feeling.
“I’m very happy for this. We’re unlucky we didn’t get the result we wanted but this is the way to get a better result.
“It was disappointing we didn’t get the result but we worked very well during the game, I think we deserved a bit more but this is football.
“Now we’ve got the break and we come back stronger, for sure.”
Ivan Toney put Brentford ahead with his first Premier League goal as the Bees maintained their unbeaten start to the season.
Manager Thomas Frank said: “It was a solid performance in many ways and I loved the way we opened the game. The boys have done so well defensively I will not go after them too much but, even still, we need to be bang on the money.
“Every win in the Premier League is so difficult. If there was going to be a narrow winner it should have been us.
“The character, attitude and hard work was spot on. We have a good squad and know what we want to do. The last 50 per cent is mentality, willingness to get on the ball and they did that fantastically.”
