Aston Villa: Unai Emery to make Pau Torres decision as three changes predicted v Ajax
Unai Emery could make three changes for the Aston Villa game against Ajax on Thursday (7 March), according to Dan Bardell.
Villa head to Amsterdam looking to claim a first-leg advantage in their last-16 tie ahead of the return fixture at Villa Park on 14 March.
But Emery’s side face a tricky game against Tottenham on Sunday (10 March), which could prove to be crucial in their bid to earn a Champions League place this season, meaning the Spanish boss has some difficult decisions to make against the Dutch giants.
Bardell believes Pau Torres won’t be risked as he continues his comeback from injury, but he expects Morgan Rogers to replace the injured Jacob Ramsey as well as Lucas Digne and Moussa Diaby to come in for Alex Moreno and Leon Bailey.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I don’t think there will be too many changes. I don’t think Villa have the depth to make the changes Unai Emery would want.
“I think Rogers will obviously come in for Jacob Ramsey, I think he’s going to be out for a while, so they could use this game to get Rogers up to speed with the tactics. I thought Rogers has made an impact when he’s come on, he’s had a chance every time he’s played, which is a really good sign.
“It was clear he wasn’t quite up to speed with what Emery wants off the ball, but on the ball, he moved it well and carried a threat.
“I think Diaby will come in for Bailey on the right-hand side, obviously he got an assist at the weekend and Villa need to try and take some people out where they can. Bailey’s durability has been a bit of a problem over the last couple of years, so I don’t think giving him a rest would be a bad thing.
“I don’t think Pau Torres will come back in and be risked, he might get a brief cameo in the second half. But I really think they’ll save him for Sunday against Spurs, I don’t think it’s really worth the risk.
“The only other change I think they could make could be to bring Lucas Digne in to get him up to speed. They are in a good position with left-backs now, where they can rotate between Digne and Moreno, which is not something that they’ve been able to do this season.
“I would expect Duran to come on at some point, but I don’t think he’ll start. I think Villa’s big-hitters, Martinez, Luiz and Watkins, they will all start.”
Unai Emery will want to name strong Aston Villa lineup against Ajax
It should be a strong Villa lineup when they face Ajax, but it’s understandable that Emery will want to give a couple of players a breather and others the chance to impress.
As Bardell points out, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Torres saved for the game against Tottenham as that is a huge fixture in their season at Villa Park.
While the Villans boss will want to win the Europa Conference League, the primary focus will be on securing a top-four finish and anything alongside that would be a bonus.
In other Aston Villa news, a journalist has mooted a high-profile exit after a £110million+ development has emerged.
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