Aston Villa without three for Manchester United Carabao Cup clash – The Athletic
Aston Villa will be without Philippe Coutinho, Jan Bednarek and Leander Dendoncker for the Carabao Cup clash with Manchester United on Thursday, say The Athletic.
Villa claimed a huge 3-1 win over the Red Devils on Sunday (6 November) thanks to goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey in Unai Emery’s first game in charge.
But the two teams will be reunited in the Carabao Cup third round later this week at Old Trafford, although there are sure to be changes to the team with the Brazilian playmaker injured while the two summer signings are cup-tied.
“Coutinho will not be available for Villa before the World Cup and may face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a quad injury,” he said.
“Dendoncker and Bednarek are both cup-tied so there will be squad changes.”
Exciting
The performance on Sunday afternoon was something that has made the entire fan base excited about what is to come again at the club, and Thursday is the start of it.
Winning in the Premier League at home is a great feeling, especially against a side like them with the form they have been in, but repeating it just a few days later would be some feat.
Dendoncker started the game in midfield and was excellent on the ball and off it, but Bednarek and Coutinho both missed the game anyway.
With Coutinho now out until after the World Cup there is plenty of time for others in the squad to claim their place in the side ahead of him, and he must be hungry to show his quality and get back in.
The performance now in the second game of the Emery era is just as important as the first, because it will prove this performance wasn’t a fluke and that the morale is truly on an upward trajectory at Aston Villa.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery has been handed the longest managerial contract in Aston Villa history