Aston Villa team news as Unai Emery gives Emi Buendía his time to shine in the Europa League
Aston Villa will take on Feyenoord on Thursday in the league phase of the Europa League. It’s the first time they’ve played in Rotterdam since winning the European Cup at De Kuip in 1982.
Villa manager Unai Emery has named his team for the second European fixture of the season. After back-to-back home wins in the Europa League and Premier League, Villa face one of their toughest away fixtures of their league phase campaign.
Emiliano Martínez makes his first Europa League appearance for the club after missing out against Bologna through injury, while Pau Torres gets an expected start with Tyrone Mings sidelined.
Emery has plumped for Ian Maatsen at left-back, with Lucas Digne dropping down to the bench. Ollie Watkins predictably starts up front but that’s easy for me to say – I predicted the whole damned team.
Buendía keeps his spot
After a goal and (technically) an assist against Fulham on Sunday, there’s another start for Emi Buendía, whose ability to win a place in the line-up after his experience at Villa so far is beginning to look nothing short of remarkable.
Evann Guessand and Morgan Rogers will be up there with him, and Rogers is likely to position himself alongside Watkins out of possession.
There are noteworthy names on the bench in a couple of regards.
Firstly, Donyell Malen and Harvey Elliott have to make do with a substitute role again. Secondly, Bradley Burrowes is in the matchday squad along with young Ben Broggio, who joins Villa’s Europa League group for the first time.
Read more ➡️ How to watch Feyenoord v Aston Villa: kick-off time, TV channels and streams
Villa team v Feyenoord in full
Starting line-up: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, McGinn, Guessand, Buendía, Rogers, Watkins
Substitutes: Bizot, Proctor, Lindelöf, Digne, Bogarde, Burrowes, Broggio, Jimoh-Aloba, Elliott, Malen
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