Aston Villa vs. Burton Albion: Lineup prediction in second-round cup tie
By Josh Tonti
Release the reserves: Aston Villa’s second-round Carabao Cup tie with Burton Albion offers an opportunity for further player development. Can we advance, and possibly see a Premier League side in the third-round?
The EFL Cup is back in full-swing, beginning on Tuesday and concluding Wednesday. Aston Villa Football Club was drawn away to League One side Burton Albion after defeating Yeovil Town in the first-round.
Burton should be a familiar face to us all. It will be the fourth time these two sides compete against each other in the last 12 months after two previous Championship matches and a pre-season friendly just this summer.
For Villa, it’s possible we see an even younger side than the one Steve Bruce deployed in the first-round. For one, Callum O’Hare is now available after recovering from summer knee surgery. Secondly, André Green now looks fourth-choice at the wing positions after last week’s arrivals of Anwar El Ghazi and Yannick Bolasie from Lille and Everton, respectively.
The Brewers are struggling in League One after relegation last term. Through five games they have collect one win and four defeats with just four goals scored. Midfielder Jamie Allen is suspended for the game after being sent-off at the weekend.
Aston Villa Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Moreira; De Laet, Elphick, Tuanzebe, Taylor; Whelan; O’Hare, Lansbury, Hourihane, Green; Hepburn-Murphy.
Substitutes: Bunn, Chester, Bree, Doyle-Hayes, El Ghazi, Bolasie, Kodjia.
Surely a debut from Yannick Bolasie, no? He might not start the match though.
In goal, André Moreira earns the nod after keeping a clean sheet vs. Yeovil. Mark Bunn to deputize. The backline remains unchanged from the first-round, but the midfield is where it gets tricky.
Is Conor Hourihane even risked after John McGinn and Jack Grealish picked-up small knocks vs. Reading? Is Henri Lansbury completely frozen out? Or just very far down the pecking order? Rushian Hepburn-Murphy will fill-in at centre-forward from Jonathan Kodjia, but will fellow teenager Jake Doyle-Hayes retain his starting spot?
Next. Aston Villa vs. Reading: Player Ratings. dark
WHEN: Tuesday, August 28th, 2018 @ 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. EST
WHERE: Pirelli Stadium / Burton-upon-Trent, East Straffordshire, England
PREDICTION: 1-1 (El Ghazi), Aston Villa advance on penalty kicks.
Other notable second-round fixtures include:
Swansea City vs. Crystal Palace
Brighton vs. Southampton
Stoke City vs. Huddersfield Town