This has not been the kind of preseason that Aston Villa was hoping for. They have only one win in their five friendlies this summer, and even the draws have looked very unimpressive. AS Roma comes calling on Wednesday night, and the side from the eternal city could prove to be a formidable opponent.
Villa have returned from their preseason tour of the United States, but at least this summer’s edition was superior to last year’s trip, as the Villans went winless in America in 2024.
Preseason Friendly FYIs
Aston Villa FC vs AS Roma
Arsenal Preview Material for Both Clubs:
Kickoff time: 7:30pm GMT, Wednesday Aug 6
Location: Bescot Stadium, Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Aston Villa Team News vs AS Roma
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has confirmed that both Ross Barkley and Andres Garcia could actually miss the season opener against Newcastle United due to injury.
Hence they will not play a part in this exhibition match. No need to risk them. Neither player made the trip to the United States.
Other than that, there is nothing else to cover injury wise, so let’s just get to the first team prediction. It’s all pretty straight-forward.
Aston Villa Starting XI Prediction vs AS Roma
Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans; Donyell Malen, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey; Ollie Watkins
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter