Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery is facing a couple of critical attacking dilemmas for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park.
The Lions have a 3-1 deficit to try to overturn from the first leg in Paris but come into the fixture having just slain Southampton 3-0 in the Premier League thanks to goals from three substitutes.
Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Donyell Malen were on target at St Mary’s, and while the latter is ineligible for the Champions League, Watkins and McGinn should have successfully auditioned for starting roles.
Watkins was overlooked for a place in the first XI at the Parc des Princes, where Emery went with a front four comprising Jacob Ramsey, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers and McGinn, but Ramsey may now be sacrificed for the returning number nine.
Watkins returning to the starting lineup would see Rashford return to the left flank, while McGinn can expect to displace PSG loanee Marco Asensio, reeling from his double penalty miss at the weekend.
Midfield metronome Youri Tielemans will need his fabulous passing range to be on point on Tuesday, where he should welcome Boubacar Kamara back into the double pivot as Amadou Onana drops out.
Pau Torres and Lucas Digne can also expect defensive recalls over Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen, while Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash complete Emiliano Martinez‘s four-strong shield.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, McGinn, Rashford; Watkins
> Click here to see how PSG could line up for the second leg
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