Looking to bounce back from opening day defeat, Aston Villa face Everton in game-week two of the Premier League. Let’s take a look at the all important team news as Villa Park hosts it’s first fixture of the season…
ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS
Claret and blue star Emiliano BuendΓa heads into the upcoming contest fully fit and raring to go. Boss Steven Gerrard revealed the Argentine suffered a knock during last week’s training, thus limiting the 25 year-old’s chance for game time against Bournemouth. Tallying 45 minutes in the recent defeat, BuendΓa will be pushing for a start this weekend after regaining his fitness, and will hope he can help rectify his side’s poor performance at the Vitality Stadium.
Tyrone Mings is thought to be battling a groin injury at the moment. The 29 year-old has been at the forefront of discussion this past week with many believing the defender has been unfairly treated so far this season. Mings had the the captain’s armband removed at the end of pre-season, with John McGinn taking over the role, and was of course dropped from the starting eleven on the opening day. The former Bournemouth man is a doubt for Saturday’s affair against Everton, and his situation at the club appears uncertain.
Frederic Guilbert, Marvelous Nakamba, Morgan Sanson and Bertrand Traore were all left out of the recent trip to the south-coast. The four were supposedly fit and available for selection, but recent rumours linking the quartet to moves away from the club may have been the reason for their absence. There has been an emphasis on a ‘summer clear-out’ this window, with Steven Gerrard already moving the likes of Matt Targett and Trezeguet out of the club. Could these four names be on their way out too?
Elsewhere, forward Keinan Davis also missed the season opener, but last year’s Nottingham Forest loanee has recently spent time in the medical room with a hamstring injury. Davis has continuously been linked with a move back to the City Ground after a successful spell with Forest from January, but frequent injury set-backs seems to have deferred interest.
To finish, centre-back Kortney Hause is still expected to be out and therefore miss the Everton game, but the 27 year-old has recently posted media on his Instagram account documenting his recovery process – Hause appears determined and hungry to fight his way back into the side. Goalkeeper Jed Steer remains absent with his long-term Achilles injury.
EVERTON TEAM NEWS
Everton striker Salomon Rondon returns to action this week. The Venezuelan is injury-free but missed the first fixture against Chelsea through suspension. The former West-Brom forward saw red in May’s 3-2 loss to Brentford; consequently missing the penultimate and final fixtures of the season. The suspension carried into the current campaign, but having served his time, he is now available for selection.
This is welcome news for Frank Lampard as he is still without star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 25 year-old suffered a knee injury in training last week and faces up to six weeks out. The Toffees played their Premier League opener without an ‘out and out striker’ – midfielder Dele Alli was the further forward. Lampard lost other star-man Richarlison at the start of the window, and will look to Calvert-Lewin for his side’s main source of goals this term.
Winger Andros Townsend and midfielder Andre Gomes will be absent from the Everton squad this weekend. Townsend suffered an ACL injury half-way through last season and is on the road to recovery after successful surgery. Gomes, on the other hand, has a knock and will not travel to Villa Park on Saturday.
Tom Davies is set to return back to training with his teammates this week however, and barring fitness levels, may make the trip to the West-Midlands. Yerry Mina is a doubt for the upcoming clash though, after hobbling off the field mid-way through the second-half of the latest defeat to Thomas Tuchel’s Blues.
Defender Ben Godfrey was also substituted in the recent contest, following a painful challenge with Chelsea’s Kai Havertz. The 24 year-old trapped his leg under his own body and required significant on-field treatment (including oxygen) to ease the pain, before being stretchered off. Boss Frank Lampard revealed “itβs a small fracture of his leg, his fibula.”, and his defender faces a lengthy spell on the side-lines as a result.
PREDICTED LINEUP
Last week, I guessed 9 out of the 11 starting players correctly. I feel this score is relatively impressive given the difficulty of the task, and this week appears no different. Will Gerrard change it up completely? Does he stick to his guns and hope for a better outcome? It truly is anyone’s guess.
I personally think changes have to be made after last week’s car-crash of a performance. There are certain players who I believe cannot start the game at Villa Park, and others who I feel must be given the nod.
The image below indicates what I have gone with. Be sure to have your own attempt using the following link: https://utvpodcast.co.uk/line-up-selector/ and then post your prediction using the ‘share’ tool in the top right corner of the image. Good luck!
This team sees both Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey drop out of the eleven that started at the Vitality Stadium. The duo weren’t at their best that day, and therefore need dropping in my opinion. Douglas Luiz tightens up the midfield, whilst BuendΓa provides the creative spark that we missed for the full 90 minutes.
Elsewhere Leon Bailey sadly misses out, but bringing him on with 25/30 minutes to go could be a better option. Ollie Watkins replaces the Jamaican in the hope that he can form a productive partnership up top with fellow striker Danny Ings.
Calum Chambers starts ahead of Ezri Konsa, who looked shaky last week. Chambers has been superb since signing in January and deserves to start this one as a result. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tyrone Mings next to Diego Carlos however (if fit); his presence was certainly missed against Bournemouth.
AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
PODCAST | PREDICTED LINE-UP
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