You got to like the prospects of Aston Villa claiming the Europa League title this term. Unai Emery’s men are the consensus favorite to win the entire tournament, although Real Betis and Lyon are expected to be in contention until the end as well. The Villans resume their UEL campaign with a trip to LOSC Lille, who currently sit sixth in the French Ligue 1 table. Emery could be without the services of as many as six players in this one. Matty Cash, Harvey Elliott and John McGinn could all return to action relatively soon.
However, Andres Garcia, Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara will remain sidelined well into April, and beyond.
UEFA Europa League Round of 16, Leg 1 of 2 FYIs
Aston Villa at LOSC
Kickoff: Thurs. March 12, 5:45pm
Location: Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, Metropolis of Lille, Northern France
Aston Villa Team News
Let’s start with Matty Cash, who is the latest name to be added to the injury list. He has a calf injury, but we don’t know how serious it is, nor how long he’ll be out. At minimum, he is a strong doubt for the trip to the north of France. Moving on to Elliott, who has an undisclosed injury, he is more likely to return on Sunday against Manchester United than he is to feature in the midweek clash. The same can be said of McGinn, who is dealing with a knee injury.
Elsewhere Kamara (knee) is of course out for the season while Tielemans (ankle) and Garcia (hamstring strain) won’t be back until mid-April at earliest.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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.