Emery to axe Marcus Rashford in two changes – Aston Villa predicted XI v Preston
Unai Emery could make two changes to his Aston Villa side to face Preston North End on Sunday with Marcus Rashford potentially set to miss out.
The Villans are preparing for a return to action on 30 March at Deepdale, 18 days after their triumph in the Champions League against Club Brugge.
A 6-1 aggregate win against the Belgian outfit before the international break set up a quarter-final clash against PSG
The result was just what Emery wanted, and with over two weeks between games, there is every chance the Spaniard could utilise changes in the FA Cup.
Rashford axed for Aston Villa v Preston North End
The international break always seems to get the best out of Emi Martinez and after keeping a clean sheet against Uruguay, he will be hopeful of a start in a cup quarter-final.
Ahead of the 32-year-old, the backline could be set to stay the same.
Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa could line up as a centre-back pairing, with the latter winning eight duels for England against Latvia on Monday (24 March).
In the full back roles, Matty Cash could link up with Ian Maatsen, with the Dutchman getting on the scoresheet for his country during the break.
At the base of midfield, Emery could look to stick to what he knows with Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara potentially set to combine again. The Belgian completed 92 per cent of passes against Brugge as he continued to be Mr Reliable for the Villans.
At the number 10 role, Marco Asensio could be set to come in for John McGinn after a superb start in claret and blue. The 29-year-old scored two with a 100 per cent shot on target ratio.
On the flanks, Leon Bailey could come in to join Morgan Rogers after the England international completed seven dribbles against Latvia at Wembley.
The introduction of Bailey could see Rashford drop to the bench, to be utilised as an impact sub option, after losing seven duels for England while having a 0 per cent shot accuracy.
Up top, Ollie Watkins could be in line to keep his place after missing out on a Three Lions call-up due to a fitness worry which saw him come off against Club Brugge. Even with that being the case, he still registered two shots on the night.
Aston Villa must win v Preston
Villa fans want a trip to Wembley for an FA Cup semi final and they won’t get a better chance than against a second-tier outfit in the quarters.
| 10/01/25 | Third round | Aston Villa | 2-1 | West Ham |
| 09/02/25 | Fourth round | Aston Villa | 2-1 | Tottenham |
| 28/02/25 | Fifth round | Aston Villa | 2-0 | Cardiff City |
| 30/03/25 | Quarter final | Preston | ?-? | Aston Villa |
Preston currently sit 14th in the Championship and as a result, anything other than a clear-cut win will prove to be a negative performance.
Emery will be hopeful of an easy enough win at Deepdale with a view to earning a semi-final FA Cup clash in the capital at the end of April.