Aston Villa face Newcastle Utd in the Premier League on Tuesday night, and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up looks for the encounter.
It’s a first home game for Villa since our 3-2 win over Burnley on December 30, and it’s hoped that we can continue our superb form at Villa Park by getting back to winning ways.
READ MORE: Agreement touted as Villa close in on signing of top target
Emery has seen us play out consecutive goalless draws against Everton and Chelsea in the league and FA Cup respectively, and while he’ll be pleased with the defensive solidity being shown to secure clean sheets, he’ll be looking for improvement in the attacking phase.
Although we currently sit 14 points above the Magpies in the standings, this will be another difficult assignment for us as we look to avenge our heavy defeat on Tyneside on the opening weekend of the campaign, while further solidifying our position in the top four if possible.
While Emery confirmed that Pau Torres, Lucas Digne and Jhon Duran are ruled out for this one due to injury, Villa are still capable of naming a strong line-up, and that’s what we’ve got, as per the club’s tweet below.
It’s an unchanged XI from the side that faced Chelsea last Friday, and so that consistency will hopefully be crucial as we look to rediscover our rhythm and best football after falling short in recent weeks.
Importantly, there’s a boost on the bench as Jacob Ramsey returns from injury to make the matchday squad, and so he’ll hopefully now work his way back to full fitness and his best form. The hope is that we’re in a position to give him minutes in the latter stages, but Emery will equally be cautious to avoid any late setbacks now that Ramsey is available again.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden is named on the bench alongside him after being recalled from his loan spell at Plymouth, and there’s a promising balance and combination of youth and experience on the sidelines for Emery to call upon if needed.
Representing Aston Villa tonight! 👊 pic.twitter.com/wRoczZ6uLI
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 30, 2024