Aston Villa have been in and out of form for much of the second half of this season, but Friday evening's trip to Wolves feels like one of those games that carries more weight than the table might suggest.
Villa brace for Midlands derby in race for Champions League spot
A West Midlands derby, a Wolves side scrapping for their lives near the bottom of the Premier League, and for Unai Emery's men, a chance to consolidate their grip on third place and keep pressure on the top two at a critical point in the campaign.
Aston Villa v Newcastle United - Villa Park
Villa were fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw against Leeds United in their last outing, with January signing Tammy Abraham notching a last-gasp equaliser against a Leeds side who were well up it on the day.
The Villans enjoyed 74 per cent possession but were often found lacking, and Tim Sherwood was quick to point out the 'non-existent' performances of Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey.
Nevertheless, snatching a result despite struggling is the cliché hallmark of a good side, with Emery expecting nothing less than all three points against a Wolves team rooted to the bottom of the table.
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Villa head into it still short of numbers in midfield.
Boubacar Kamara's season ended weeks ago with a serious knee injury, while captain John McGinn went under the knife and has been working his way back to full fitness.
And the man many consider to be the most important of the lot — their players' and supporters' player of the season last campaign — has been watching from the sidelines since late January.
£150,000-per-week midfielder Youri Tielemans is still on the recovery trail, but it could be a while before he returns to on-field action.
Tielemans-Gordon-Villa-Newcastle
The Belgian was forced off during Villa's 2-0 win at Newcastle in January with an ankle injury sustained in a collision with Lewis Miley. Emery was forthright in his assessment at the time, confirming the 28-year-old would be out for eight to ten weeks.
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In a fresh update, journalist and Villa correspondent John Townley has claimed that Tielemans won't be back until after the international break — meaning he'll miss their games against Wolves, Chelsea, Man United and West Ham.
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His absence has been felt throughout.
Tielemans is not simply a midfielder in the traditional sense. Under Emery, he has operated as a six, an eight and a ten, offering the kind of versatility that is very difficult to replace.
He set a Premier League record in November, completing 126 successful passes in Villa's win over Everton. That is the level of player this squad is missing.
The former Leicester City star also bagged 5 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season, but has been unable to replicate those numbers this term due to repeated injury lay-offs.
Tielemans' form hasn't gone unnoticed, with Al-Ittihad and Fenerbahçe having both been linked before, and with a World Cup on the horizon this summer, he will be determined to return to form and cement his place in the Belgium squad.
For now, though, Villa will settle for getting him back on the pitch.
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The Villans were nearly humbled.