Unai Emery to axe Marcus Rashford – Aston Villa predicted XI v Nottingham Forest
Unai Emery could axe Marcus Rashford when Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Villa secured a huge win in the race for European football as the West Midlands outfit beat Brighton 3-0 at the AMEX Stadium in the Premier League on Wednesday (2 April).
It wasn’t a match short of controversy, with the Premier League making a statement about one incident. However, Emery won’t care one bit as his side picked up three points, which cut their gap to the Premier League’s top five.
A win against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on 5 April would significantly boost Villa’s chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League via their league finish. As a result, Emery will be focused on what is a very big game.
However, with arguably an even larger game to come on Wednesday (9 April) as Villa travel to the Parc des Princes to play Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the last four of the Champions League, some rotation might be needed.
Emery ‘to make four changes’ for Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Emiliano Martínez made four saves from inside the box [Sofascore] as he kept a clean sheet against the Seagulls and will expect to keep his place against Forest.
Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa made three clearances and one tackle, while Pau Torres completed 90 per cent of his passes and won four of his six ground duels on the South Coast, with the centre-back duo likely to remain unchanged on Saturday.
| Premier League 2024/25 | Position | Points | Played |
| Nottingham Forest | 3rd | 57 | 30 |
| Manchester City | 4th | 51 | 30 |
| Newcastle United | 5th | 50 | 29 |
| Chelsea | 6th | 49 | 29 |
| Aston Villa | 7th | 48 | 30 |
Matty Cash made five clearances, two interceptions and one tackle and should keep his place, while Emery could make his first change by bringing in Ian Maatsen for Lucas Digne at left-back as he looks to manage the 31-year-old’s minutes ahead of a big game against PSG.
In midfield, Boubacar Kamara will expect to continue after another positive display, which saw him make four clearances and three tackles, while Amadou Onana could be handed a start to offer Youri Tielemans a rest ahead of the trip to Paris.
John McGinn played a key pass and succeeded with 100 per cent of his dribble attempts against Brighton, but he could make way for Marco Asensio, who came off the bench to score at the AMEX Stadium.
Emery to axe Rashford for Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Jacob Ramsey was involved in some controversy against Fabian Hürzeler’s side on Wednesday, but will hope to keep his place in the team.
Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers could keep his place after grabbing two assists against Brighton, while Emery might decide to make a big change up front.
Rashford scored his first league goal for Villa against Brighton and will be riding high on a wave of momentum after also completing 100 per cent of his passes. However, with the game against PSG in mind, Ollie Watkins is likely to return, while Rashford is rested.