Aston Villa face Crystal Palace this Saturday. Let’s take a look at the all-important team news from each camp heading into the tie.
ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos will miss the majority of the 2022/23 Premier League season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the win against Everton last week. The Brazilian made only his second competitive start for the club since joining from Sevilla for a reported Β£28 million.
The 29 year-old missed only eight games across three seasons with his former side, but now faces anywhere between 7 and 9 months out. An MRI scan revealed the dreaded news on Monday, and the club stated: “The player will require surgery and will then begin his rehabilitation programme.” Rotten luck.
Fellow centre-half Kortney Hause is also expected to miss the Crystal Palace clash this weekend. A persistent knee injury continues to trouble the defender, despite successful surgery and intense recovery work during the summer.
The 27 year-old has recently been linked with a move to EFL Championship side Watford. The club would surely dip into the market for another defender if the transfer goes through. It would leave only Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Calum Chambers as fit first-team options for the centre-back role. Who would you like to see arrive next in claret and blue?
Already making the switch to Vicarage Road is forward Keinan Davis. The 24 year-old joins The Hornets on loan for the remainder of the season, and made his first appearance off the bench against Birmingham City on Tuesday night.
To finish, despite knocks against Everton at Villa Park last week, both Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho are fit and available. The duo were taken off during the second-half, but are ready for the trip to the capital this weekend. Can Steven Gerrard’s side make it two wins from two?
CRYSTAL PALACE TEAM NEWS
Patrick Vieira will hope to have a fully fit squad ahead of the weekend, as his Crystal Palace aim to pick up their first win of the campaign. An opening day defeat to Arsenal, and a Monday night draw away to Liverpool leaves The Eagles on a point.
Thankfully for Vieira, there are only a few reported absentees for the clash at Selhurst Park. Defender Nathan Ferguson’s terrible luck with injury continues, and he looks to miss the next seven weeks worth of action. The 21 year-old defender has been absent for the best part of two and a half years through injury. A foot problem is the latest concern, but the former West Brom man has faced trouble with his knee and Achilles too.
Midfielder James McArthur is unavailable due to a groin injury, whilst veteran defender James Tomkins misses out with a calf constraint. Also absent is goalkeeper Jack Butland who broke a finger during a pre-season clash with Manchester United. The arrival of shot-stopper Sam Johnstone solves this issue however.
Aside from this, the red and blue side looks strong and ready to build from their spirited performance at Anfield. New recruit Cheick DoucourΓ© has slotted straight into the side and looks effective in midfield. Sam Johnstone and Chris Richards also look to be shrewd squad signings.
Vieira has a team swarming with talent, and the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze are expected to start the upcoming tie. There is an abundance of quality from the back too, as Joachim Andersen and Marc GuΓ©hi continue to impress. With that being said, can The Eagles soar to victory this weekend?
PREDICTED LINEUP
Last week’s predicted line-up was reasonably successful. I estimated the critical formation change, but only guessed eight of the eleven personnel correctly.
I believe Steven Gerrard will change the formation again this week however, despite the victory at home. It seems as if the two striker system was played to better tackle the three-back formation of Everton last Saturday. As Crystal Palace are seemingly going to resort to their four-back, I can see Aston Villa also adjusting, and start the affair in a 4-3-2-1.
Of course, there will have to be a change to the side, as Diego Carlos misses out. I think we’ll see the tried defensive partnership of Konsa and Mings from the get-go. I also think we will finally see Emi BuendΓa win his first start of the season – how could he possibly miss out?
Below is the predicted line-up I have chosen. Would you make any changes? Give it a go yourself by visiting the following link and sharing it online: https://utvpodcast.co.uk/line-up-selector/.
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AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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