Aston Villa team news as Unai Emery opts for wholesale changes against Fenerbahçe in the Europa League
Manager Unai Emery has named his team for Aston Villa’s Europa League match against Fenerbahçe this evening.
Villa travelled to Istanbul for this early Europa League kick-off without a long list of injury absentees, which have badly affected their ability to rotate and rest players in midfield in particular.
Emery has made five changes in total from Sunday’s Premier League defeat against Everton but they are primarily in defence where key players have been left out in favour of those in need of playing time.
There are places on the bench for 20-year-old Kadan Young and midfielder Amadou Onana, who makes his welcome return from injury.
Villa rest players at the back but midfield and attack options were limited
As well as bringing Marco Bizot in for injured goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez again, Emery has made three changes to his back four. It’s the only place where he really has the flexibility to do so.
Matty Cash stays in at right-back but Lucas Digne comes in on the other side and centre-back Victor Lindelöf is restored to the starting eleven on the right of the back two.
The Swede will play alongside Tyrone Mings, who makes his first start since returning from a thigh injury.
Mings last played a league game on November 1st, when he played the last quarter of an hour against Liverpool at Anfield before sustaining the injury that’s kept him out ever since.
He hasn’t played back-to-back games since September.
Villa team news in full
Starting XI: Bizot, Cash, Lindelöf, Mings, Digne, Bogarde, Tielemans, Sancho, Rogers, Buendía, Watkins
Substitutes: Proctor, Wright, Konsa, Torres, García, Maatsen, Onana, Guessand, Jimoh-Aloba, Young, Hemmings
How to watch Fenerbahçe v Villa
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