Ross Barkley to start for Aston Villa v Bayern Munich amid recent injury blow
Noel Egan wants to see Ross Barkley start for Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich on Wednesday (2 October).
The ex-FIFA official and lifetime Villa supporter believes Unai Emery’s midfield needs shaking up.
Emery and his players will welcome Vincent Kompany’s side to Villa Park for their second Champions League match of the season.
However, they will be without midfielder John McGinn due to injury (Mirror, 29 September).
And, Egan – speaking exclusively to Villa News – claims changes are needed after the 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road (29 September), a match which wasn’t short of controversy.
“Losing McGinn was noticeable against Ipswich Town,” Egan said.
“Youri Tielemans is a class act. However, he needs space, which is often created by McGinn.
“There was no one to sit in front of the defence, they tried Amadou Onana there, but it didn’t work. He is not a defensive midfielder, neither is Tielemans.
“Therefore, I would like to see Barkley brought in and played alongside Tielemans and Onana.”
Ross Barkley to start for Aston Villa against Bayern Munich?
Aston Villa struggled at Portman Road and were exposed at times. Therefore, it is fair to say that a few fans might be nervous about the showdown with Bayern Munich.
This is arguably the club’s biggest match since the turn of the century. As a result, they won’t want the occasion to be ruined by an unfavourable result.
Emery only played with two in midfield against Ipswich Town. However, he can’t afford to offer Kompany’s side as much space.
Therefore, bringing in Barkley – a player with previous Champions League experience – could prove to be a smart decision.
In other Aston Villa news, Egan has called for another player to be axed for the clash with Bayern Munich.
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