Aston Villa face a difficult trip to Brentford on Sunday, and Unai Emery will be forced into changes for the Premier League encounter.
Neither Douglas Luiz nor Lucas Digne will be available as they serve one-match suspensions, while there are doubts over Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans after they were absent against Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League in midweek after picking up knocks.
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It’s hoped that there is good news prior to kick-off in that they’ve recovered and we’re clear of any fresh injury issues, as this promises to be another difficult assignment on the road.
Villa began the weekend in third place in the Premier League standings, and while there is a scenario in which we could go top, the focus for Emery and the players will be to maintain our impressive start to the campaign and get our away form right without looking beyond this weekend.
Alex Moreno, Jacob Ramsey to start?
After being rested in midweek, Emiliano Martinez will return to the line-up between the posts, while we could revert to a familiar backline with Ezri Konsa moving back across to right-back.
That in turn will see Diego Carlos come back in to partner Pau Torres in the middle, and with Digne out, that opens the door for Alex Moreno to get his first Premier League start since last season after his lengthy injury layoff.
In midfield, much will depend on the fitness news ahead of kick-off in terms of the availability of Bailey and Tielemans. If they are passed fit, we are likely to see both named in the Villa starting XI, having been able to rest and recover during the week.
However, if Emery and the medical staff don’t feel that they are quite ready, Matty Cash is an option to start in a more advanced role on the right side, a position he’s been deployed in on several occasions now, with Boubacar Kamara being partnered by John McGinn in the centre, making room for Jacob Ramsey to return to the XI too.
Given Luiz’s influence, his absence will be a massive blow, and Emery does have alternative options. Leander Dendoncker could come in to add more physicality and presence in midfield, or fresh from scoring his first goal for the club, Nicolo Zaniolo will be itching to be involved from the start again too.
However, there is a strong argument in favour of going with McGinn in the middle and Ramsey on the left, as it should allow us to have a better balance in the side and to continue to play in our preferred style and structure and impose ourselves to control the game.
That said, as noted above, much will depend on the team news prior to kick-off, as we undoubtedly have a stronger chance of getting a positive result if we have Bailey and Tielemans available, given how important they were in our wins over Man City and Arsenal more recently.
Up top, Ollie Watkins will be a certainty to start, and Moussa Diaby could get another opportunity to cement his place in the side again, although Bailey will have a say if in contention, as will Zaniolo in a more advanced role.