Aston Villa could be tempted to mix up their midfield again after the international break, with Youri Tielemans lacking in one crucial area in the engine room.
Unai Emery has had his adaptability truly tested this season as Aston Villa continue to weather a storm of absences.
The latest missing link to test the Villans is the suspension of John McGinn, who picked up a three-match ban after receiving a straight red card against Tottenham almost two weeks ago.
Despite tackling a host of injuries and absences to their squad, Emery’s side has shown peak resilience to keep the momentum up, with a Champions League finish still firmly in reach.
That being said, the loss of McGinn in midfield on top of the loss of Boubacar Kamara to a season-ending injury has dealt the Spaniard with a new challenge to address, with his first attempt at fixing the issue not wholly paying off.
Unai Emery must assess his midfield options ahead of Wolves test
After missing the away fixture with West Ham United that ended in a draw, McGinn has two more games to sit out before he is eligible for selection.
Welcoming Wolves to Villa Park and then a trip to the Etihad Stadium is far from the challenges that the Scotsman would have wanted to miss, handing Emery a task to find suitable cover.
Against the Hammers, Youri Tielemans started in the middle alongside Douglas Luiz however, the Belgian’s defensive frailties were exposed despite his efficiency going forward.
Journalist Dan Bardell was one figure to comment on the 26-year-old’s display in East London, talking about the midfield on the 1874 Podcast.
“I was a little bit worried about Tielemans playing in midfield too before the game and maybe in the first half, he did get bullied a bit.”
While West Ham’s midfield is capable of causing significant damage, Tielemans’ luck at compensating his defensive weaknesses with his passing ability may run out against Wolves and Manchester City.
Playing Youri Tielemans in midfield against Wolves and Man City would be a risk
Villa’s Midlands rivals, Wolves, have found sanctuary under Gary O’Neil this season, with a lot of their success coming from the durability of their midfield duo.
Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes present an overwhelmingly solid and well-worked pivot in the middle, a pairing that Tielemans could struggle to contain considering his difficulties in the first half against West Ham.
The same can be said about the Manchester City test that follows the Old Gold’s visit to Villa Park, with the duo of Rodri and John Stones not needing much of an explanation.
Tielemans is an expert player to have in the number eight role and beyond, with his ability to remain anchored in transition jaded due to his love for expressing himself in the final third.
It’s not a bad mentality to have however, given what the Belgian has been called in to replace in the combative figures of McGinn and Kamara, his experience in the nitty-gritty side of the game was always going to fall short.
As highlighted through their numbers, McGinn and Kamara are way ahead of Tielemans in terms of their defensive contribution, averaging 4.8 and 4.9 ball recoveries per game to their teammate’s mere 2.6, via Sofascore.
Emery must now assess his options ahead of the next two fixtures and with resources in that area running thin, the Spaniard will truly have his flexibility tested.
