Aston Villa: Unai Emery should drop Lucas Digne and play Alex Moreno v Lille
Unai Emery has a decision to make between Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno for Aston Villa but he should opt for the latter v Lille.
After a generally poor showing against Brentford last time out, there is a chance of many changes being made in the Conference League.
With defensive problems being rife at Villa Park, some additional midfield depth may be considered coming into the Lille clash.
There are certain players and positions that choose themselves due to a lack of competition. This has been caused by a lengthy injury list that has affected the Villans all season.
On the flip side of this, the left back position has become one which has a 50:50 decision and has been chopped and changed.
Coming into the European quarter-final this Thursday (11 April), Emery has to make a decision to suit the game best.
Alex Moreno should start for Aston Villa v Lille
This season has seen Villa struggle with injury all over the pitch. This ranges from Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia in pre-season to Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara.
Last season, Moreno’s season was ended early and this current Premier League season never began for him until December.
This saw Digne take the left-back role as his own and his performances were superb. He then picked up an injury and missed the whole of January.
The Frenchman has made 21 league starts this campaign [FotMob] and has scored once while assisting two. Add to this three assists in the Conference League, and he has had a positive campaign with goal involvement.
Moreno is yet to register a Premier League assist but does have two goals of his own in just 11 starts at left full-back [FotMob].
His goal output sees him rank among the best defenders in Europe going forward. As well as this, he had a 70.6% tackle success rate which is positive given his position.
He is certainly more of an attacking force given his pace and ability on the ball. With 15 successful dribbles and 34 touches in the opposition’s box, it is clear what part of the game he is positive at.
In Lille’s last match, a 3-1 win v Marseille, Edon Zhegrova featured on the right wing. With 77 successful dribbles and 27 fouls won across 27 appearances [FotMob], he has pace and trickery to cause problems.
Moreno is the more offensive option of the Villa options but with his pace, his recovery against Zhegrova will be key. Digne could pose a threat against his former club later in the game, against tired legs.
In other Aston Villa news, Clement Lenglet has been ruled out of Villa’s showdown with Lille in the Conference League
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.