Aston Villa team news as Ollie Watkins decision made for home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manager Unai Emery has named his team for Aston Villa’s Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon.

Villa are hunting for their seventh consecutive home win in all competitions, a run dating all the way back to their loss against Crystal Palace at the end of August.

Emery has made a single change from Villa’s win at Leeds United and it’s a doozy.

Villa will line up with a familiar back four after shuffling the pack on Thursday for the Europa League fixture against Young Boys but the Premier League calls for the best possible selection.

And no, Harvey Elliott isn’t in the squad.

Watkins dropped for the visit of Wolves

Donyell Malen will start today’s game up front after his delicious double against Young Boys in midweek.

That means Villa’s record Premier League scorer Ollie Watkins drops to the bench as a result of some lacklustre performances and a goal drought that’s put his selection in doubt for several weeks.

Malen scored two cracking goals in the Europa League a few days ago but his best Villa performances otherwise have not been as a lone striker.

Emery has taken a chance on the Netherlands international in that position again, this time in the Premier League, and it could be a decisive game in terms of Villa’s attacking set-up over the coming months.

Villa team news in full

Starting XI: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Buendía, Rogers, Malen

Substitutes: Bizot, Lindelöf, Maatsen, Bogarde, Barkley, Onana, Guessand, Watkins, Sancho

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