Manager Unai Emery has named his squad for Aston Villa’s Europa League match against Red Bull Salzburg tonight.
Villa must balance the need to avoid further injury problems with the advantage that is up for grabs with a top two finish in the competitive stages of the Europa League, which offers home advantage.
Emery has tried to make changes without sacrificing the game, which has resulted in a team with a handful of regular starters, some younger players who will take advantage of the opportunity, and one big surprise.
Emiliano Martínez remains in goal and Ollie Watkins, the only striker in Villa’s European squad, starts the match as a striker. James Wright, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba and Kadan Young are among the substitutes.
Harvey Elliott!
There’s really only one headline from tonight’s team selection. After confirming ahead of the match that there is no change in the status of Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott, Emery has called up the attacking midfielder from the start.
Stuck in limbo thanks to a purchase commitment that Villa won’t meet, Elliott has not played since Villa played against Feyenoord in their first match of October.
Making use of the squad’s depth wherever possible tonight was undoubtedly part of Emery’s thinking, but not many of us saw Elliott get a game in, let alone from the start.
Looking ahead, what’s more notable is a first senior start for midfielder George Hemmings. The teenage partners Amadou Onana are in the center.
Complete news from the Villa team
Starting XI: Martínez, Bogarde, Lindelöf, Mings, Digne, Hemmings, Onana, Elliott, Buendía, Sancho, Watkins
substitutes: Bizot, Wright, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Rogers, Jimoh-Aloba, Young
How to watch Villa v Red Bull Salzburg
➡️Watch Aston Villa v Red Bull Salzburg: start time, TV channels and streams
➡️ Aston Villa v Red Bull Salzburg: predicted line-up, team news and match preview
#Aston #Villa #team #news #Unai #Emery #stunning #Harvey #Elliott #call #Red #Bull #Salzburg #Europa #League