Aston Villa heads to Coventry City on Wednesday night for a renewal of a heated local rivalry. The two West Midlands clubs will meet in a League Cup third round clash. Villa manager Unai Emery will be without the services of several key players, as Leon Goretzka, Amadou Onana, Brian Madjo and Johan Manzambi remain ruled out. Additionally, Pau Torres and Matty Cash are doubts for this one while Ian Maatsen is a new addition to the injured list.
EFL Cup Third Round FYIs
Aston Villa at Coventry City
Kickoff: Wed Sept. 16, 8pm
Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry, UK
Aston Villa Team News
The left back could miss up to two months, after he suffered ankle tendon damage in the Villans loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Emery knew right away that the injury was bad, and that it would keep Maatsen out for awhile.
“But the information I have, an ankle injury, it may be a long, long time,” he said on Saturday.
Cash is probably a 50/50 proposition, due to muscular tightness while Torres is unlikely feature, as he continues battling a hamstring strain. There is some good news though- Joao Gomes is back available for selection, having finished serving his three match suspension, which was the punishment for his getting red-carded on opening day.
“Fun” Fact: this Carabao Cup clash is a matchup of the two currently worst sides in the Premier League table.
Coventry are 20th, as the only top flight side not to have taken a single point yet. Villa are 19th, with one point.
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.