‘Genius’ Rashford call made as Emery starts ‘defiant’ defender - Aston Villa predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa make their long-awaited return to Villa Park on Saturday evening as they play host to fellow Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

The Villans are full of confidence having won their last six successive matches across all competitions, five of them to nil. Forest have the very real potential to cause a slip-up, however, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are currently third in the Premier League, nine points clear of Villa.

Despite the fixture difficulty, there will be calls for Emery to rotate out some key players to keep them fresh for the trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. He has already made it clear the Premier League remains the priority, however. That could perhaps change if Villa are to reach the semi-finals, but even then Emery tends to stick to his guns in selecting the best lineups in the league.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest

With that very much in mind, here’s the starting XI we reckon Emery against Forest.

GK - Emi Martinez: The two-time Yashin Trophy winner has kept clean sheets in four of his last five Villa matches, a huge improvement from the months before.

RB - Axel Disasi: Rested over the international break and over the past two weekends, Disasi could be tasked with filling in at right-back. He did so well against Brentford’s wingers last month.

CB - Ezri Konsa: Ever so reliable for Villa throughout much of this season, Konsa very rarely puts on a poor performance. His versatility has been so important.

CB - Pau Torres: The Spaniard’s return to the XI resulted in a defiant clean sheet at the Amex. Another game three days later could be risky given he’s only just returned but, as mentioned, the league is the priority.

LB - Lucas Digne: It’s not been easy for Ian Maatsen to watch on but Digne, who notched two assists at Deepdale, has earned his status as the lead left-back. The competition is fierce.

CM - Boubacar Kamara: Fully up to speed now, Kamara is arguably Villa’s most important player. He’s certainly the best at keeping the centre of the park in check.

CM - Youri Tielemans: Thriving in the double pivot just as much as he was as a number 10, Tielemans has played more minutes than any other Villa player this season.

RM - Morgan Rogers: Enjoying a new role out on the right flank since Asensio’s arrival, Rogers deservedly made his first England start during the international break.

LM - Marcus Rashford: Moving Rashford, who has three goals in his last two games, to left midfield could be a genius move as Ola Aina is out. Neco Williams, albeit a great player, isn’t as strong defensively and Rashford should be able to cause him problems.

CAM - Marco Asensio: In incredible form with eight goals in his opening nine Villa appearances, Asensio should start. Forest are likely to sit off and so Villa need someone capable of finding a pass through the eye of a needle.

ST - Ollie Watkins: It turns out Watkins was benched at Brighton for tactical reasons but he will start up front if Rashford steps back onto the left flank as mentioned.