Aston Villa are getting ready for arguably their biggest fixture of the season thus far as they welcome Ajax to the Midlands for the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie.
Their preparation has not been the best, however, suffering a dismal 4-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, with John McGinn seeing red during the second half.
The Scot will be available for the clash tomorrow evening, however, and this is a boost to their chances.
If they do secure a win on Thursday, the fixtures will continue to pile up and this could make rotation key if the club want to finish in the top four of the Premier League this term.
This could see the Spaniard rejig his starting XI from the Spurs loss with three changes predicted from the weekend as the Eredivisie side travel to England.
1 GK – Emiliano Martínez
The Argentinian may have conceded four goals last weekend, but there is no doubting his stature in the squad, and he will of course retain his place for the clash against Ajax.
Across 36 matches in all competitions this season, Martinez has kept 11 clean sheets – with his most important coming in the first leg.
If he can keep another clean sheet on Thursday, Villa have an excellent chance of progression.
2 RB – Matty Cash
The defender dropped to the bench for the first leg as Ezri Konsa took over on the right side of the back four last week.
With minutes left, the Englishman was sent off after receiving a second booking, and he will miss this clash, which means Cash will start.
He didn’t have the finest of games against Spurs, being dribbled past on four occasions while losing possession 16 times, so Emery will be looking for him to improve.
3 CB – Pau Torres
The Spaniard played just the opening 45 minutes against Ajax last week, with Emery subbing him as a precaution, but he played the full game against Spurs.
Torres won three of his four duels last week along with making two tackles and one clearance as he was solid throughout.
A similar display this time around could well see Villa claim a place in the quarter-finals as they bid to end their 28-year major trophy drought.
4 CB – Clement Lenglet
It has taken a while for the on-loan defender to cement his place in the starting XI, but he has proven to be a solid signing.
Lenglet had to wait until the 22nd of December to make his first start in the top flight for the club, but Villa have lost just four times in the league since then. He will play alongside Torres on Thursday evening.
5 LB – Alex Moreno
Lucas Digne has started the previous two matches for Villa, but he failed to really impress during the defeat to Spurs.
He completed only five passes during his time on the pitch, along with failing to deliver an accurate cross or successful dribble, and Moreno will replace him.
The Spaniard has made 21 appearances in all competitions this season and, with three goals, the left-back provides a reliable attacking threat.
6 CM – John McGinn
The Scot saw red against Spurs due to a bad challenge on Destiny Udogie in the 65th minute, which means he will miss the next few league ties.
He will be available for the Ajax clash, however, and Emery will unleash him from the start after he was dropped to the bench during the first leg.
7 CM – Douglas Luiz
The Brazilian has arguably been the beating heart of the side this season. Not only has he scored ten times so far, but the midfielder has registered eight assists, showcasing his talents from the centre of the pitch.
He is nailed on as a starter and his influence could help the club progress into the last eight, while he will be looking to chip in with a goal or an assist.
8 RW – Leon Bailey
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger has been one of the most improved players for Villa this term, becoming a key attacking threat under Emery.
Across 38 matches this term, the Jamaica international has registered 22 goal contributions – 11 goals and 11 assists – and with Emery potentially moving to a 4-2-3-1, he will take his place on the right wing for the tie.
9 AM – Moussa Diaby
Another former Leverkusen star, Diaby, has not quite had the same sort of success as Bailey this season, despite costing Villa £51.9m.
Indeed, the Frenchman has scored just six goals since joining last summer, and been deployed across numerous positions in the process.
His best performances have come from an attacking midfield role and this is where Emery will unleash the £130k-per-week earner.
10 LW – Morgan Rogers
The January signing was thrust into the deep end last week, as Emery unleashed the youngster from the start against Ajax, and he performed fairly well.
The former Middlesbrough starlet succeeded with five of his six dribble attempts as he sought to make his mark on the tie and there is no doubt he terrorised the Ajax backline with his pace.
Rogers was dropped to the bench for the Spurs defeat last weekend, and he will replace Youri Tielemans, who failed to truly showcase his talents in the loss.
The Belgian made just seven passes during his time on the pitch, taking 21 touches too and swapping him for Rogers could see Villa create more chances down the left.