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Aston Villa set for Swansea City showdown in FA Cup third-round match

By Josh Tonti

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Anwar El Ghazi of Aston Villa celebrates with his team after scoring their second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa at The Hawthorns on December 7, 2018 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Anwar El Ghazi of Aston Villa celebrates with his team after scoring their second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa at The Hawthorns on December 7, 2018 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) /
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A chance at silverware! Well, maybe. Aston Villa host Swansea City in Saturday’s third-round FA Cup match.

Aston Villa, fresh off a Boxing Day victory against these same Swans, will get the chance for a second win on Saturday. This time, however, the Welsh side will need to travel to Villa Park during the FA Cup third-round weekend, and, according to reports, may be limited in options.

Manager Graham Potter admitted forwards Wilfried Bony, Oli McBurnie, and Jefferson Montero all missed Thursday’s training through illness. They will re-evaluated the next 24 hours to determine their availability. With an Aston Villa defense ailing in health and numbers, those absences could be a welcome reprieve.

For Villa, it’s mostly status quo at the moment. Axel Tuanzebe is out for another 8 weeks, while Jack Grealish looks like he’ll need all of January to recover. Neil Taylor and Henri Lansbury are nearing a return, however.

Tammy Abraham’s future, once very much in doubt, looks secure in a Villa shirt due to FIFA regulations (thank you Chelsea under-23s). There is a hang-up in Kortney Hause’s deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the two clubs only seem a £1 million or so apart in valuation.

Predicted Aston Villa XI (4-3-3): Kalinic; Elmohamady, Elphick, Revan, Taylor; Whelan, Hourihane, O’Hare; El Ghazi, Hogan, Adomah.

Substitutes: Bunn, Bree, Bjarnason, Bolasie, Davis, Kodjia, Abraham.

Welcome, Lovre!

Aston Villa’s new goalkeeper is expected to start this match and take over the No. 1 position. With Jed Steer the back-up going forward, Mark Bunn claims a spot on the substitutes’ bench.

Could we the debut of 18-year-old defender Dominic Revan? It’s certainly possible as it would be unwise to risk James Chester this early in the tournament with so much to play for in the league. Is Neil Taylor fit enough to go back into the starting XI? If not, James Bree is a possibility at left-back.

It would be good to see both Scott Hogan and Callum O’Hare from the opening whistle. Both player have found minutes hard to come by this season, and both offer something different to the attack.

Next. Aston Villa January Points Predictor. dark

WHEN: Saturday, 5 January, 2019

WHERE: Villa Park

PREDICTION: 2-1 Aston Villa victory (Hogan, El Ghazi).

I think Villa do just enough to get through. Only two places in the league separate the two sides.

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