Aston Villa conclude their pre-season schedule against Borussia Dortmund this weekend, and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up looks for the encounter.
It’s been a productive and intriguing pre-season this summer, as although results during our trip to the USA were disappointing, it’s hopefully set us up perfectly in terms of where we need to be ahead of the new campaign.
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A 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in midweek provided more positives, and so it’s hoped that we can come through this last test unscathed in terms of injuries, and that the squad can get more valuable minutes.
The expectation is that Emery’s starting XI will be a reflection of the team he’s likely to select for our opener against West Ham Utd next weekend, and here’s how the Villa line-up looks against Dortmund, as per the club’s official post on X below.
Crucially, there’s a double boost with Emiliano Martinez and Ezri Konsa returning to the starting XI, and that will give our influential duo vital playing time to reintegrate and build their match sharpness.
Ollie Watkins though isn’t quite ready yet as he’s been left out, but hopefully the Villa striker will be available to feature against West Ham next weekend along with Jhon Duran.
Elsewhere, it’s exciting to see Kosta Nedeljkovic get the nod at right-back as he stakes his claim for a big role this year, while the Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans midfield partnership will continue to get a chance to improve and establish itself at the heart of the side.
Jacob Ramsey getting another starting spot is good news as he continues his comeback, while there is still no place for Diego Carlos amid ongoing speculation over his future at the club.
It promises to be a good test for Villa to wrap up our pre-season preparations, and it’s hoped we can sign off on a positive note with a good performance and result.
Aston Villa: Martínez, Nedeljković, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, Philogene, McGinn, Ramsey, Rogers.
Subs: Gauci, Wright, Moreno, Maatsen, Swinkels, Bogarde, Barkley, Iling Jr, Barrenechea, Dendoncker, Bailey, Buendía, Archer.
Your Aston Villa team for today’s match. 👀 pic.twitter.com/00sWvFLAdy
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 10, 2024