Friday saw another key Aston Villa player leave the club, as English center back Ezri Konsa officially joined Arsenal. Konsa joins Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne as notable names to exit Villa Park this summer.
And Villa manager Unai Emery revealed earlier today that Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez could become the fourth and fifth out the door as well.
Premier League Season Opener
Aston Villa at Brighton & Hove Albion FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Aug. 23, 4pm BST
Venue: Falmer Stadium, Falmer, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England
Result Probabilities via Google: Aston Villa wins 31% a Draw 26% Brighton & Hove Albion win 43%
Aston Villa Team News vs Brighton
Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal has been aggressively pursuing Watkins while Martinez has been linked with several clubs for quite some time.
So the roster depth has been a bit depleted this summer, and it looks like things could continue in that direction.
Emery will have some selection issues due to injury, this weekend. At least five players are set to miss the season opener at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Elsewhere Joao Gomes (calf strain), Leon Bailey (muscular injury), Brian Madjo (ankle injury), Johan Manzambi (knee) and Amadou Onana (ACL) are all ruled out for Sunday. Most of the names on that list will likely not be back until after the September international break.
There is much better news regarding Alejandro Garnacho, as he was passed fit after having recently experienced concussion symptons.
And then finally, Tammy Abraham faces a late fitness test for the opener, as he’s dealing with an adductor injury. So with that all said, here is who’s still available for the starting lineup.
Aston Villa Predicted Starting XI vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Marco Bizot; Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara; John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía, George Hemmings; 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, Ratings and RG. 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 and the Washington Post.