Heading into the second leg of their UCL round of 16 tie with Club Brugge, Aston Villa have two new injury concerns in Emiliano Martinez and Marco Asensio, both have which have knocks of some sort.
Neither player is expected to be fit to feature on Wednesday night.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Leg 2 of 2
Aston Villa vs Club Brugge
Aggregate: Aston Villa leads 3-1
Kickoff: Wed. March 12, 8pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Result Probability via Google: Aston Villa 60% Extra Time 22% Club Brugge 18%
Aston Villa Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Aston Villa Team News vs Club Brugge
And while Ross Barkley remains sidelined, officially as of Friday night, the news is much better for Amadou Onana (thigh). Said Villa boss Unai Emery on Friday: “Amadou is starting to work with the team and is close to being with us as well.”
Overall, the Villans are becoming a more fit squad, and it’s happening at the right time- the stretch run. Villa has one hand on a place in the UCL quarterfinals- they just need to close the deal here in midweek.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.