RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa: Predicted lineup, team and injury news as Ollie Watkins returns
On Tuesday night, Aston Villa will be playing in Champions League action as they travel away to meet RB Leipzig.
With 10 points from a possible 15 in the league phase, Aston Villa has had a fine start to their first Champions League campaign.
Unai Emery’s men are currently in ninth position, in contention for an automatic route to the last 16, while their opponents RB Leipzig have endured a torrid time.
The Germans now find themselves among only four teams not to have tasted a victory in Europe’s elite competition, with all of their five matches having ended in losses.
On current form, Villa will, therefore, fancy their chances of securing another vital victory with Marco Rose already praising Emery ahead of the clash.
Aston Villa team news ahead of RB Leipzig
The Spaniard will be pleased with that scenario as Villa marches into a frantic Christmas fixture schedule with little injury trouble.
Leon Bailey suffered a hamstring issue against Southampton, but Emery revealed that he will miss the visit to Leipzig in midweek.
In his pre-match press conference, he said the Jamaican winger will be assessed ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Jacob Ramsey is Villa’s only other injury concern. The 23-year-old hasn’t featured since going off injured against Liverpool at the start of November.
Two weeks away from returning was the confirmation by Emery, but he added that he is said to be ‘progressing very well’.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs RB Leipzig
It is an area that Emery underlined as importance. He comes with a really heavily rotated squad to keep pace with the unrelenting schedule.
Last time he included Jhon Duran in his first Premier League of the season while dropping Ollie Watkins to the bench.
Against Leipzig, though, Tim Sherwood thinks Watkins should start and lead the line as he goes in search of his first Champions League goal.
Watkins isn’t the only change Emery should make for this clash, with Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne and Jaden Philogene all coming back into the lineup, replacing Diego Carlos, Pau Torres Ian Maatsen and Bailey.
The ‘ridiculous’ Philogene, as dubbed at Hull City, has struggled for form this term, but given the lack of wide options, he’s likely to start on the right.
Aston Villa predicted XI vs RB Leipzig: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, Onana; Philogene, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.
