Tottenham Hotspur hosts Aston Villa in a Premier League clash of two teams that are desperate to obtain more points this Saturday. The main team news here centers around not an injured player, but a benched one. Alejandro Garnacho, the Aston Villa winger on loan from Chelsea, did not feature in the League Cup win over Coventry City last night. It marked the third straight match in which Garnacho went an unused substitute. Yes, the Argentinian is not featuring in either the league fixtures or the cup competitions.
As Aston Villa manager Unai Emery put it, Garnacho: “is a little bit behind, because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”
Garnacho moved over an initial loan with a conditional obligation, based on appearances, worth about £42.5 million. He’s only played 31 minutes in total, thus far, this season.
What are the FYIs for Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa?
Kickoff: Sat. Sept 19, 12:30
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Predicted Starting XIs: Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa
Result Probability, According to Google: Tottenham Hotspur win 47% Draw 26% Aston Villa win 27%
Who are the Doubts for Tottenham vs Aston Villa?
Goalkeeper Marco Bizot is a doubt for Saturday, after needing to get subbed last night, after injuring his back in the cup win. “Marco felt pain in his back,” Emery said last night. “We decided to change him, and hopefully it’s not a big injury.”
On the other side, Sandro Tonali missed out on the 3-1 loss to Liverpool, Tuesday night, due to an unspecified minor injury.
“There is no Sandro Tonali because he felt a knock,” Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi said after the match.
Pedro Porro is a 50/50 proposition for the weekend.
Who are the Longer-Term Injured for Tottenham vs Aston Villa?
Leon Goretzka, Pau Torres, Brian Madjo, Johan Manzambi, Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana remain on the injured list for Villa. Meanwhile Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert remain sidelined for Tottenham.
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.