Aston Villa are coming off what is arguably the best result of their season, at least so far. It might sound weird to say that, on the heels of a draw, and given how that stalemate came against Brentford. However, the Bees are fourth in the table right now, and they are in top form in the early going, so that was impressive. Unai Emery is starting to get more of his players back from injury, and it is anticipated, given the way things stand right now, he’ll get a few more back soon as well. George Hemmings has a knock on his knee, but he could be passed fit for Wednesday’s visit from Fenerbahce, for UCL Matchday 2.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 of 8
Kickoff: Wed. Oct 14, 8pm
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
UCL Standing, Form: Aston Villa 9th, 3 pts W Fenerbahce 19th, 1 pt, D
Result Probability, According to Google: Aston Villa win 76% Draw 24% Fenerbahce win 19%
Aston Villa Team News
“Hemmings has a small knee injury,” Emery said on Saturday. “should keep him out for a few days. I know he suffered a small issue while away on international duty.”
Matteo Ruggeri is another concern, but he could be okay for midweek.
“Ruggeri is hamstring,” said Emery. “have to check tomorrow.”
And then elsewhere Brian Madjo (ankle) and Leon Goretzka (knee) have both resumed training, so their returns are near. However, this match might come too soon for both of them. It might be a late fitness test kind of situation going on there. In the case of Goretzka, the timeline is really dragging on. It just keeps getting moved back further and further.
Otherwise there are no changes at this time, with Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana and Modou Keba Cisse all remaining sidelined. So with that all said, let’s get to the lineup prediction.
Aston Villa Predicted Starting XI
Zion Suzuki; Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Aaron Wan-Bissaka; Boubacar Kamara, Joao Gomes; John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, Johan Manzambi; Nicolas Jackson
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.