Aston Villa handed huge boost as key Feyenoord update emerges
Aston Villa will travel to Feyenoord for Thursday’s Europa League tie looking to continue their newfound form.
Unai Emery‘s side has had a difficult start to the season, but back-to-back wins have filled fans with renewed optimism.
Villa beat Fulham 3-1 at Villa Park on Sunday and earned their first Premier League victory of the season.
The domestic league win followed on from the Villans’ 1-0 win over Bologna in the opening round of Europa League fixtures, the Thursday prior.
Emery has decisions to make ahead of the Feyenoord game, and his preparations have taken a huge boost following a recent update out of Rotterdam.
Feyenoord set to be without key midfield general
Villa will travel to the Netherlands as favourites to pick up all three points, and this has only been further cemented as Feyenoord’s Quentin Timber faces injury concerns.
Reported by Dutch outlet 1908.NL, Timber is set to be unexpectedly absent for Thursday’s game at De Kuip.
The midfielder is the brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and has started six of the first seven games in the Eredivisie as well as last week’s Europa League contest.
The 24-year-old has impressed this year with a goal and an assist in the league while also topping his team’s charts for interceptions per league game, according to Sofascore.
| League Performance | John McGinn | Quentin Timber |
| Starts | 6 | 6 |
| Pass Accuracy | 84% | 84% |
| Tackles & Interceptions (per game) | 1.7 | 3.1 |
| Goals & Assists | 1 | 2 |
Villa could be grateful for Timber’s knock against Groningen at the weekend, as it is suggested Feyenoord manager, Robin Van Persie, will manage his minutes accordingly.
Emery will be hoping to preserve Villa’s excellent record against Dutch teams and will be handed a huge boost in the midfield battle.
- Read more: Aston Villa predicted XI vs Feyenoord – John McGinn to be left out as fringe player comes in
The midfield battle will be key for Aston Villa
Emery opted for 21-year-old Lamar Bogarde as John McGinn‘s partner in the middle of the park against Fulham at the weekend.
The two who started at Villa Park are tussling with Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans as the four players fight for just two spots in Emery’s preferred double-pivot.
Tielemans has struggled with injury so far this season, while Kamara and Bogarde have shared minutes as McGinn’s partner.
Without Timber to worry about, it could be a huge opportunity for the pair who are trusted on Thursday to really make a statement.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247