With Aston Villa travelling to face Middlesbrough this weekend, Unai Emery has the perfect opportunity to start Jhon Duran.
This weekend Aston Villa have the chance to win a third-round FA Cup clash for the first time since the 2015/16. With a loss last year to Stevenage, things can’t get much worse, but no Villa fan wants to crash out again.
Although Premier League and European football under Unai Emery feels different, there is still some hoodoo around the FA Cup.
Losses to Peterborough United, Swansea and Fulham have been the frustrating ones. On the flipside defeats to Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United have only added to the frustration.
With Villa fighting in the league and Europa Conference League, the need for squad rotation is apparent. Despite this, fans want to see the Villans progress in the cup. Although wholesale changes may represent a risk, resting Ollie Watkins could be a beneficial idea.
Jhon Duran to come in from the start vs Middlesbrough
Despite being linked to AC Milan this week, Jhon Duran should come in and start in the FA Cup this weekend.
He has been described by The Telegraph as a ‘Nuisance’ and this is just one reason why he should come in. It is fair to say that him coming in and allowing Watkins to rest is also true, but against Championship defence, Duran could flourish.
In the Premier League, he hasn’t been rewarded with a start so far this season. Such has been the form of his England international counterpart.
According to FotMob, the Colombian international has only amassed 148 minutes in the Premier League for the Villans this season. In spite of this, he has managed to score two goals and even won a penalty last time out vs Burnley.
He is an agent of chaos who puts everything into each game he plays in. This is shown by the fact he has registered the most goals, and most shots but the most fouls per 90 in the whole league. It must be said that these stats are skewed due to his lack of minutes but they still represent his style of play. All action.
Against a Boro side who have conceded the ninth most goals in the whole Championship, Duran will get chances. He has shown at times in the league and in the Conference League that he’ll take chances when he gets them. This is a perfect opportunity for Emery to unleash him.
