‘Unbelievable’ 27-year-old starts but injury forces key change - Aston Villa predicted XI vs Monaco

Aston Villa fly to the south of France for their final away UEFA Champions League league phase fixture of the campaign, against AS Monaco at Stade Louis II.

Unai Emery’s side will be full of confidence following Saturday’s 2-2 comeback draw at Premier League title challengers Arsenal, last Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Everton and the 2-1 victory over West Ham United in the FA Cup.

Motivation is high as the Villans - currently fifth out of 36 teams in the league phase - can move very close to securing a top eight finish with a win. It could be tricky, however, as energy levels will be fairly low due to the recent fixture congestion.

It’s a decent time to play Monaco, though, as Adi Hutter’s side have won just one of their last eight matches across all competitions - and that was in the cup against French third tier outfit L’Union Saint-Jean. Their last two Champions League outings haven’t gone to plan, either, as they lost 3-0 at Arsenal and 3-2 at home to Benfica.

For Villa, the Premier League remains the priority competition but Emery is likely to field a full strength starting XI to give his side the best chance of processing straight through to the last 16. With that in mind, here’s the team we reckon will be named.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Monaco

GK - Emi Martinez

The World Cup winner has kept four clean sheets in six Champions League games so far. He’ll be eager to continue that fine run in Monte Carlo.

RB - Matty Cash

Cash is likely to start consecutively with Diego Carlos on his way out but he needs to step up to keep his place for when Villa sign a new right-sided defender.

CB - Ezri Konsa

Konsa will have to play a lot of minutes over the next few weeks as Villa continue their busy run. Carlos and Pau being out puts Emery in a tricky situation.

CB - Tyrone Mings

It’s not the circumstances Villa would’ve wanted with Pau being sidelined for two months but it’s a great opportunity for Mings to return to his best.

LB - Lucas Digne

Digne was benched at Arsenal but came off the bench to produce a terrific assist. Ian Maatsen, meanwhile, struggled defensively in his 45 minutes at the Emirates.

RM - Leon Bailey

The Jamaican has been in and out of the team of late but he’s begun to look a little more like his former, more confident self. Bailey needs to step up following Donyell Malen’s arrival.

CM - Boubacar Kamara

Kamara has seriously impressed over the last couple of months, very much getting back to his strongest. Emery loves having the Frenchman at the base of midfield.

CM - Lamare Bogarde

Bogarde was a surprise introduction off the bench when Amadou Onana was injured at Arsenal but he performed excellently, much better in the midfield double pivot than at right-back.

LM - Morgan Rogers

Almost just as effective on the left as he is through the centre, Rogers enjoys tucking in and taking on defenders to kick-start attacks.

CAM - Youri Tielemans

The Belgium international scored an unbelievable diving header last time out as he showcased yet another of his vast qualities. Tielemans has played well in the attacking midfield role.

ST - Ollie Watkins

Watkins scored the winner at Goodison Park and the equaliser against Arsenal, so he’s unlikely to be benched for Jhon Duran. The fight for game time between the two is fascinating to watch.