Lucas Digne axed in three Unai Emery changes – Aston Villa predicted XI vs Lille
Lucas Digne will undoubtedly be dropped from the starting lineup when Aston Villa host Lille in their Europa League second-leg clash on Thursday.
The Villans lost 3-1 to Man United on Sunday, and while their Premier League form has completely dipped, they’ll feel optimistic about making it past the French side in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
Having won the first leg 1-0 in France, Villa are considered as favourites to reach the quarter-finals under Unai Emery, who has won the competition four times.
However, the French left-back has been on a dreadful run of form, with his latest display drawing immense criticism from fans.
The Sofascore graphic below shows how poor Digne was against Man United, and he could be one of three players who are left out of the team by Emery.
- Read more: Unai Emery’s managerial record vs Lille to fill Aston Villa with huge second leg confidence
Lucas Digne replaced by Ian Maatsen in three changes
Although Digne provides a high level of attacking output, his fragility when defending has been exposed numerous times in 2026.
Against Man United, the 32-year-old gave the ball away 14 times, won just one of his six total duels and failed to complete a successful dribble.
When looking at his stats across the league this season, the Frenchman has only won 52.5 per cent of his ground duels, and it’s clear that his lack of physicality is proving to be a hindrance.
| Stat | Digne |
| Appearances | 25 |
| Ground duels won | 52.5% |
| Recoveries | 53 |
| Tackles | 27 |
| Interceptions | 12 |
With the Europa League being a priority in terms of winning a trophy and qualifying for the Champions League, Villa need to name their strongest team, meaning Ian Maatsen would take Digne’s place in the side.
Jadon Sancho could also come back into the team in place of Emi Buendia, who came off injured at Old Trafford.
The Man United loanee was not eligible to face his parent club, and after a poor display against Lille in the first leg, he’ll be desperate to have an impact in the final third.
The final change could see Tyrone Mings make way for Pau Torres in defence, which we have seen plenty of times this season.
- Read more: Unai Emery got Lucas Digne call wrong in Aston Villa loss vs Man United as worrying stats emerge
Why Aston Villa need to sign another top-class centre-back alongside Ezri Konsa
One of Villa’s biggest problems is the lack of quality they have in defence.
Konsa has led the backline remarkably in 2025-26, and he has quickly become one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Having to juggle the intense schedule that comes with European football, the 28-year-old’s availability has been crucial to Villa’s success over the past few seasons.
However, he has been let down on numerous occasions by his centre-back partner in recent months.
Signing a new centre-back surely has to be a priority for Emery in the summer, and the fact that he keeps alternating between Torres and Mings says it all.
Both defenders aren’t good enough for where Villa want to be, and it’s becoming incredibly costly towards their progress.
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