Aston Villa face Tottenham on Sunday, and Unai Emery may have to make some crucial selection decisions.
Three points in north London would move Villa above Spurs in the Premier League table and into the top four, as we currently sit just a point behind them and three points behind league leaders Manchester City.
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Despite their injury and suspension issues, this will undoubtedly be a difficult assignment for us as we look to maintain our positive start to the season, with Tottenham also off to a promising start under Ange Postecoglu, impressing many not only with their results, but also with their style of play.
In turn, Emery would have hoped for good news on the injury front this week in order to have the best possible chance of getting a positive result, and that appears to be the case for the most part, as the Villa boss is hopeful a number of players will shake off knocks and be in contention to feature following the international break.
Villa vs. Tottenham team news
“John trained well today,” he told VillaTV. “He came back here with us yesterday and rested.” But today he was training, and when I asked him at the end of the session, he said he was ready. Hopefully, nothing will change tomorrow, and I believe he will be fine for Sunday.
“Some players are returning from international matches with reservations about playing on Sunday.” Emi, Leon, and Nicol are all expected to be fine, but Bertrand Traoré is expected to be injured.
“The recovery of Jacob Ramsey, Lex Moreno, and Tim is critical for us.”
“Leon and Nicol worked alone this morning to see if they’d be ready for Sunday, and the tests were mostly positive.” Emi tested this morning as well because he has a minor ailment, but I believe he will be ready for Sunday.
“Bertrand is completely 100% injured and not available for Sunday.”
How Villa might line up against Tottenham
Emiliano Martinez is expected to start between the posts, with a settled back-four in front of him, assuming he recovers from the’small pain’ that is bothering him, according to Emery.
Diego Carlos and Alex Moreno should be back in contention, but Matty Cash, Ezra Konsa, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne are likely to be the trusted backline that will hopefully provide us with a solid foundation from which to go out and win the game.
Similarly to Martinez, if fit, John McGinn will captain the team and start in midfield, possibly on the right flank, with Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, and Youri Tielemans rounding out the lineup.
Leon Bailey or Nicolo Zaniolo could be in contention to replace Tielemans here, but much will likely depend on their respective fitness levels, as both appear to be questionable after the break. Furthermore, the Belgian international impressed before the break and earned a start in our win over Fulham, so it could be argued that he deserves to keep his place.
Jacob Ramsey should be back on our bench after his injury layoff to take his place alongside Moreno, but this game will most likely come too soon for the pair, who will both need to be gradually worked back into the XI given their lack of playing time in recent months.
We can expect to see the usual partnership of Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins link up in the final third, and they’ll hopefully lead our charge and provide a real threat both on the counter attack and as we look to control possession, ensuring that the Spurs defense has a difficult afternoon.
That settled, familiar Villa line-up should allow us to maintain our balance and impose our style in both phases, as we have done so far this season, but we will undoubtedly need to put in a strong performance if we are to return home with anything to show for our efforts.
