Aston Villa head to Amsterdam on Thursday evening to face Ajax in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League round of 16 tie.
Unai Emery has several well-documented injury issues to contend with.
Diego Carlos is still out with a hamstring problem he sustained during training. At the very least, Boubacar Kamara is out until the start of the new season after damaging his ACL against Manchester United. Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings are long-term absentees from the Spaniard’s plans.
Jacob Ramsey is also doubtful after picking up an injury during the Villans’ weekend win over Luton Town. It’s a similar situation for Jhon Duran, who is probably more likely to be ready for Sunday’s massive clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ajax are also facing several injury concerns ahead of Thursday’s match.
Ajax injury update ahead of Aston Villa
According to Birmingham World, Former Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn is expected to miss out after spending time on the touchline with a hamstring injury.
The 26-year-old netted against Villa during the 2020/21 COVID-19-impacted season.
Defender Josip Sutalo is also out of Thursday’s clash against Villa. Anton Gaaei and Steven Berghuis are both doubts for the Eredivisie giants.
How will Aston Villa line up?
Emery faces a delicate balancing act this week.
Of course, the fixture against Ajax is huge, and the Dutch side deserves the utmost respect.
However, there is the small matter of a clash against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. Spurs sit five points behind Villa, having played one fewer game.
It doesn’t take a genius to determine the significance of three points for either side this weekend.
Potentially looking to rotate slightly will be on Emery’s mind. Considering it’s only the first leg, there’s no need to go all out from the start.
Looking to pick up a narrow victory or draw would see Villa well-placed to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
The Spaniard’s team selection will undoubtedly be interesting reading come Thursday evening. With Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres returning from injury, managing either player’s minutes could be an option.
