Aston Villa host a resurgent Manchester United in Unai Emery’s first Premier League game in charge of the Villains on Sunday afternoon.
After overseeing a 4-0 win and a defeat in his two games as interim boss, Aaron Danks described last weekend as a “reset moment for all of us”. Emery is tasked with recalibrating a side sitting just one point above the relegation zone heading into this weekend’s games.
Erik ten Hag has had five months at Manchester United and is tentatively starting to shape a team that is hard to beat. The Red Devils bounce back into the competition unbeaten in nine games.
Here’s everything you need to know about the pair’s reunion
Aston Villa team news
Emi Martinez was forced off with a head injury, after initial checks from the medical staff cleared him to play, during last weekend’s heavy defeat to Newcastle. The goalkeeper took to Twitter the next day. “It was just a scare,” he wrote. “I’ll be back and ready for the next game.”
Ludwig Augustinsson may join his keeper in a return to the squad after navigating a hamstring injury. Boubacar Kamara is also “at the back end of his rehabilitation” but may not face United this weekend – though he’ll have another chance against the Red Devils in Thursday night’s EFL Cup tie at Old Trafford.
Diego Carlos remains a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Man Utd
Aston Villa Starting 11 (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Buendia, Dendoncker, Luiz, Young; Watkins, Ings.
Man Utd team news
Bruno Fernandes will miss the trip to Birmingham after collecting his fifth yellow card of the campaign last weekend.
Doubts linger over three of Manchester United’s forwards. Antony and Jadon Sancho missed the midweek trip to face Real Sociedad through injury and illness respectively but both have a chance of featuring this Sunday.
Anthony Martial has been sidelined since limping off against Everton at the start of October but returned to some form of training on Wednesday. Whether he will be tossed straight into the starting XI remains to be seen.
Raphael Varane, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe are all unlikely to feature prior to the World Cup.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs Aston Villa
Man Utd Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Elanga, Eriksen, Rashford; Ronaldo.
