Aston Villa prepare to host Spurs in the Premier League this afternoon in what is set to be a blockbuster in the race for the top four, giving Unai Emery some decisions to make regarding team selection.
Aston Villa will welcome Spurs to Villa Park this afternoon in what is set to be a crucial fixture in the race for the top four.
The Villans sit five points clear of Ange Postecoglou’s side, who have a game in hand on the Midlands club, making today’s matchup a meeting of great importance.
Unai Emery will hope his side can take full control of the battle for fourth place after struggling to make a breakthrough against Ajax in midweek, with the Spaniard now facing a decision to make over selecting his team.
Aston Villa team news against Spurs
After missing out against Ajax on Thursday during the 0-0 draw in Amsterdam, the manager shared that Jacob Ramsey is not yet ruled out of featuring against Spurs.
The Englishman was unavailable in the European clash due to a foot injury however, potentially having him back this afternoon would be a significant boost for the hosts.
Another piece of positive news is that Pau Torres and John McGinn have trained ahead of the fixture after the Spaniard and the Scotsman played sporadic roles against Ajax.
With key players either in or nearing contention and the importance of the Spurs game in mind, Emery could be tempted to mix his starting XI up in order to push for a vital three points this afternoon.
Aston Villa must drop Morgan Rogers ahead of Spurs clash
With the second leg being at home, the manager rotated his squad against Ajax, seeing January arrival Morgan Rogers make his full debut.
The 21-year-old impressed during his cameo against Luton Town the week prior and was handed a European start on Thursday however, he must now return to the bench against Spurs.
Despite being a bright spark on the flank when filling in for the absent Ramsey, Rogers was mildly criticised by journalist John Townley in BirminghamLive’s player ratings for having ‘drifted in and out of the game’ in Amsterdam.
Taking into consideration the importance of this afternoon’s fixture, Rogers should be omitted from the starting XI so that the manager can unleash a more experienced player, with the forward having only secured 59 top-flight minutes in his career.
The news of Ramsey’s potential return would solve the issue of who could replace the 21-year-old, who could be better utilised from the bench in a match that holds no room for errors or inconsistencies.
