Aston Villa face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up looks for the encounter.
After defeat in midweek at Man City, Villa will be keen to produce a winning response as we continue to pursue Champions League qualification for next season.
READ MORE: Emery faces key potential decision as Villa prepare to face Brentford
While fifth place may well prove to be enough to secure a seat at Europe’s top table, Emery and the players will undoubtedly want to finish as high as possible in the standings, and so a win here is crucial to try and continue to fend Tottenham off.
There was more negative news on the injury front this week as Emery confirmed that Jacob Ramsey’s season is over, while both Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins were set for late fitness tests after missing out on Wednesday night at the Etihad due to illness and a hamstring injury respectively.
Given their importance and influence in the side, the hope was that the pair would make the Villa XI, with captain John McGinn providing a pivotal boost in midfield as he returns from a three-game suspension.
As per Villa’s tweet below, there was a triple boost as Martinez, McGinn and Watkins all returned to the line-up, while Emery also brought Pau Torres, Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans back into the side to make it six changes from midweek in total.
It’s a strong Villa XI despite our injury woes this season, and with a strong balance across the pitch, it’s hopefully enough to secure all three points and subsequently allows us to take another big step towards achieving our objective.
Further, we have quality options available on the bench along with our talented youngsters, and so should changes be required to come out on top, Emery will have confidence in those at his disposal to get the desired result.
Your Aston Villa team! 👊 pic.twitter.com/FC8NdC2xAj
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 6, 2024