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Aston Villa projected lineup: Changes abound for trip to Millwall

By Josh Tonti

IPSWICH, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Lewis Grabban of Aston Villa celebrates scoring the third goal of the game with team mate Josh Odomah during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Aston Villa at Portman Road on April 21, 2018 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Lewis Grabban of Aston Villa celebrates scoring the third goal of the game with team mate Josh Odomah during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Aston Villa at Portman Road on April 21, 2018 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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Millwall need a miracle on Sunday to sneak their way into the EFL Championship play-offs. With little to play for, Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce would be wise to freshen up the squad.

On Sunday, May 6th, 2018 at 12:30 p.m., all 24 clubs in England’s second division will kickoff simultaneously in one final ‘hoorah’ to end the league season. For most, there is not a whole lot to play for outside of bragging rights. For others, it will take matchweek 46 to determine their fate for next season.

Cardiff City will advance to the Premier League with a victory over Reading. Any slip-up and they open the door for Fulham to claim second with a win and/or draw coupled with a Bluebirds’ defeat.

Sunderland, having long been relegated to League One, can’t make-up any ground, but the relegation battle might just be the most intriguing storyline over the weekend. It is safe to assume two of: Barnsley (41), Burton (41), and Bolton (40) will meet their demise, but there remains an outside shot of a Birmingham City relegation. All it will take is a Barnsley victory over Derby County, Burton victory over Preston (who need a win themselves + Derby loss to claim 6th), and Blues’ loss to Fulham. One can only hope.

Millwall can claim 6th, too, but they need a lot of help, including three points against Villa, Preston loss and Derby loss with a combined goal differential greater than or equal to nine. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. Tim Cahill is serving the second game of his three-match ban.

Aston Villa Projected XI (4-3-3): Bunn; Bree, Chester (c), Suliman, Hutton; Whelan, Lansbury, Onomah; Hogan, Davis, Grabban.

Substitutes: Johnstone, Elmohamady, Jedinak, Bjarnason, Grealish, Snodgrass, Kodjia.

Honestly, I haven’t a clue what this lineup will look like. Aston Villa will have six days off between the conclusion of Sunday’s match and the first leg of the play-off semi-finals, likely against Middlesbrough at Riverside.

John Terry could be rested in addition to a half-dozen other key starters. James Chester might sit, but then again he’s on the verge of playing every minute this season. Maybe Mark Bunn between the sticks? Aston Villa’s under-23s are fresh off a Friday evening Premier League Cup trophy, so many of those players will not be available.

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