Aston Villa vs Leeds United injury and suspension latest as 10 players set to miss out
Aston Villa are looking to get back to winning ways as they welcome Leeds United on Saturday.
Villa have shown inconsistencies as of late, with a draw and subsequent win against Bournemouth and Brighton, followed by a 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Newcastle at Villa Park.
Champions League qualification remains firmly in Unai Emery’s hands, though, with a six-point gap to Chelsea in fifth, which will likely come with a spot in Europe’s elite competition.
Though the form of both Chelsea and Manchester United behind them will be a concern, with both sides in form under Liam Rosenior and Michael Carrick.
Ahead of a West Midlands derby against Wolves, and fixtures against the aforementioned pair, Aston Villa need to build form against Leeds, but Emery will have to do so without multiple key players.
Six Aston Villa players set to miss out vs Leeds
Villa’s issues in midfield are set to continue, with both Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara sidelined – the latter not expected to return to the fold until next season.
John McGinn also remains out with a knee injury. A hopeful return would be before the March international break, though he could be back in action after this period.
Lamare Bogarde could continue at right-back in place of Matty Cash, who is still being assessed following a recent knee injury, while fellow right-back Andres Garcia could return alongside Cash later this month.
Marco Bizot was sent off in the recent cup defeat to Newcastle, with the shot stopper caught miles off his line in a rather haphazard moment. Youngster Ronnie Hollingshead will likely take his place in the matchday squad.
As for Leeds, they could be without key summer signing Anton Stach, who was ruled out ahead of the Whites’ recent 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest through a groin injury.
Pascal Struijk and Dan James are also doubts, with the latter suffering a setback after recently returning to the fold.
Noah Okafor will be assessed after the Swiss forward was forced off against Birmingham City last time out with an apparent hamstring problem.
- Read more: Aston Villa in desperate need of summer transfer clear-out – defeat vs Newcastle United proved it
Aston Villa must build form ahead of crucial run
Starting with Leeds on Saturday, momentum is the target for Emery after the recent run.
Following Saturday’s clash, Villa make the short trip to Molineux, where they face fellow Midlanders and bottom dwellers Wolves.
But even with Wolves’ precarious situation in mind, Wolves away has continued to be an awkward fixture for the Villans, having picked up all three points just once since 2012.
Emery will be desperate to avoid a similar situation to that of last year, where it was all left to play for in the season’s final round, before Villa were condemned to the Europa League following the final day loss to Manchester United.
Picking up form now is crucial, with matches against both Chelsea and Manchester United coming either side of the international break.
A sizeable haul of points over the course of the next month would leave Villa as firm favourites to claim third place in the Premier League – their highest finishing position since they ended the 1992-93 campaign in second.
To keep up to date on all things Aston Villa, visit Football Insider for more in-depth coverage.