AdminAston Villa could hand debuts to Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ibrahim Mbaye when they travel to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday, while Leon Goretzka is also in contention for his first appearance.
Villa boss Unai Emery provided an update on Goretzka’s fitness earlier this week, suggesting the midfielder could be involved if he makes sufficient progress in training.
“He needs more sessions to get his fitness and the level we want. But he’s good, and hopefully, maybe Saturday, after three days, he should be available to be in the squad on the bench.”
That leaves Goretzka as a 50/50 option for the weekend, with Emery likely to make a late decision.
Villa have undergone one of the biggest squad overhauls of the summer, with Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Donyell Malen and Emiliano Martinez all leaving the club.
The rebuild has brought in a younger group of players, although several new arrivals are yet to make their debuts.
Whether the revolution can deliver remains uncertain. Joao Gomes will miss the trip through suspension, while Johan Manzambi, Brian Madjo and Amadou Onana remain unavailable due to injury.
Villa’s opening two matches have been hugely disappointing. They currently sit level with Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at the bottom of the table, having collected zero points and suffered a -5 goal difference.
Saturday’s clash could therefore be crucial.
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