Aston Villa are in Emirates FA Cup third round action on Saturday afternoon as they travel northeast to face Sky Bet Championship outfit Middlesbrough. The Villans will be keen to put right their wrongs of last season when they were knocked out prematurely by the then League Two title chasers Stevenage.
Unai Emery has admitted the Premier League is the main focus this campaign but the Spaniard absolutely loves cup competitions. He was devastated when Villa were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle last time around and will be eager to go a lot further in 2024.
Middlesbrough are no easy turnover, however, as they are likely to be in the fight for the Championship play-offs later this term. It was a poor start to the season for Michael Carrick's men but an improvement has seen them soar out of the relegation zone and up to 12th, just four points shy of Sunderland in sixth.
Emery will show this weekend's opposition plenty of respect as he makes his team selection, albeit with some slight rotation. The head coach has hinted previously at how his limited number of changes in the Premier League will have a knock-on effect on other competitions, giving fringe players the chance to feature.
With that in mind, here's the Villa starting XI we think will be named at the Riverside Stadium, including an unusual striker duo and a risky but exciting goalkeeper choice.
1. GK - Filip Marschall
Marschall was handed his senior Villa debut at HSK Zrinjski and could play again here, as Emery tends to rotate his goalkeepers in cup competitions.
2. RB - Matty Cash
Cash is well-rested as he has missed the last two outings through suspension and illness. He could do with a start here to get back up to speed.
3. CB - Ezri Konsa
It’s a toss-up between Konsa and Diego Carlos but we think the former just about gets the nod. If it were the Premier League, it would be Konsa most times, but the call gets tighter in the FA Cup.
4. CB - Clement Lenglet
Although Pau Torres is now back fit, Lenglet has shown a vast improvement of late and deserves another game in the XI. Pau will then start against Everton, most likely.