REUTERS – New manager Remi Garde says he will not favour Aston Villa’s contingent of French players despite recalling several of them for Sunday’s 0-0 Premier League home draw against table-topping Manchester City.

Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew, Jordan Veretout and Idrissa Gana all started as Villa ended a seven-match losing streak although the point was not enough to lift them off the bottom.

“They are not back because they are French or I knew them. In a fortnight it can be a different team,” said Garde, referring to Villa’s next fixture.

“They did well but the team did well. I think the spirit they are starting to show together is better than I saw previously.”

The former Olympique Lyonnais manager also handed midfielder Charles N’Zogbia his first appearance for Villa since their FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal on May 30.

The France international was frozen out of the first team by Garde’s predecessor Tim Sherwood.

“I think Charles is an interesting player. I just asked at the club if there was a problem with him, there wasn’t,” said Garde.

“He was okay in the training sessions and I thought he could be useful for the team.”

Villa, who are five points adrift of fourth from bottom Newcastle United, resume the task of trying to escape from the relegation zone when they travel after the international break to Goodison Park to face ninth-placed Everton on Nov. 21.

Asked whether the draw against City will have changed the perception outside the squad that Villa are doomed for the drop, Garde replied: “Hopefully yes but I am not going to fight (opinions) outside the club.

“It would be useless. My job is to concentrate on where the strengths within the club are and to focus on that and try to do it better for the team.”

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Tony Jimenez)