Unai Emery has a few selection dilemmas ahead of Aston Villa's Premier League clash with Chelsea
Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham
Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham(Image: Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock)
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Aston Villa host Chelsea on Wednesday night in what could be a huge match in the club's hopes of returning to the Champions League.
A win for Unai Emery’s side would see them move nine points clear of Chelsea, who also lost at the weekend, suffering a 2–1 defeat to Arsenal.
Villa come into the game on the back of a shock 2–0 defeat to bottom club Wolves, who had won only one other league game before beating their West Midlands rivals at Molineux Stadium.
Chelsea are winless in their last two Premier League visits to Villa Park, having won five of their previous six matches there before that run.
The Blues have not lost consecutive away league games at Villa since defeats in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons under Claudio Ranieri.
Villa are looking for three league wins in a row against Chelsea for the first time since a run of four between 1978 and 1984, but they have won only one of their last four Premier League home games.
Unai Emery will speak to the media on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to provide an injury update.
Emi Martinez should start in goal, possibly behind a defence of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen.
Mings felt some discomfort before Villa faced Wolves, which gave Pau Torres the chance to impress on his return to the starting XI.
Without John McGinn, Villa appear to have lacked leadership in recent weeks, something Mings could help restore in the team.
Douglas Luiz and Amadou Onana are expected to continue in the double pivot, but changes may be required in the forward areas.
Morgan Rogers should keep his place and could play off the left if former Chelsea men Ross Barkley and Jadon Sancho support another ex-Blue in Tammy Abraham.
Ollie Watkins could be taken out of the firing line, giving his place to Abraham, who has scored in his last two matches at Villa Park.
Villa predicted XI vs Chelsea: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Luiz; Sancho, Barkley, Rogers; Abraham.