Aston Villa are back in friendly action on Thursday as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion as part of their warm-weather training camp in Dubai. Braving temperatures of 30c and above, the Villans have been put through their paces by Unai Emery and his backroom team ahead of the resumption of the Premier League on Boxing Day.
Last week, the Lions lost 3-1 to Cardiff City in the Peter Whittingham memorial match in the Welsh capital - a game which saw 21 Villans step foot on the field. The fixture, which was dedicated to the former Villa winger who sadly passed away in 2020, was a moving occasion as fans of both sides paid their respects.
Now, eight days later, Emery’s side have another opportunity to build fitness with the World Cup still underway over in Qatar. Brighton are the first of two Premier League oppositions challenging the Lions in Dubai, as Emery will take on Graham Potter’s Chelsea on Sunday, December 11.
With two friendlies in the space of four days, it’s likely every single fit member of the squad will get a decent amount of game time.This makes it rather difficult to predict exactly how Villa may lineup against Brighton in particular, but we’ve given it our best shot regardless. Without further ado, here is our predicted XI for the game against the Seagulls on Thursday.
1. GK: Robin Olsen
Should get the nod ahead of U21 goalkeeper Filip Marschall, who started against Cardiff.
2. LB: Ludwig Augustinsson
Finally back after a long spell on the sidelines through injury. Should get the first 45 minutes.
3. CB: Ezri Konsa
Was on the bench to start with last time out, so it makes sense for Emery to choose Konsa this time around.
4. CB: Lamare Bogarde
Superb time for the 18-year-old to get some game time under his belt against Premier League opposition.