The most-played fixture in English football history, Aston Villa v Everton, brings Saturday’s Gameweek 5 action to a close.
Kick-off at Villa Park is at 17:30 BST.
Everton were already without the sidelined Dominic Calvert-Lewin for tonight’s match but Rafael Benitez has been hit by a further three injury blows in the run-up to the trip to Villa, with Jordan Pickford, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman all absent.
“With the tackle of Tarkowski, Richarlison was complaining about his knee during the week and he couldn’t do it.
“Pickford has a problem with his shoulder, he couldn’t do it.
“Seamus Coleman. At the end of the training session, he was a little bit tight, he felt his hamstring.
At the moment we think it would be 2/3 weeks minimum [for Richarlison, Pickford and Coleman] and after we will see.” – Rafael Benitez
Asmir Begovic, Alex Iwobi and Salomon Rondon start in place of that absent trio but there have been no other unenforced changes from the win over Burnley on Monday.
Dean Smith makes one alteration from Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Chelsea, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez returning to the starting XI in place of Jed Steer after completing his 10-day quarantine period in Croatia.
Emiliano Buendia is also back but only makes the bench.
GAMEWEEK 5 LINE-UPS
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Targett, Konsa, Mings, Luiz, McGinn, Watkins, Tuanzebe, Ings, Ramsey
Subs: Steer, Buendia, Traore, Young, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Hause, Bailey, Archer
Everton XI: Begovic, Keane, Allan, Gray, Digne, Mina, Townsend, Doucoure, Iwobi, Godfrey, Rondon
Subs: Lonergan, Kenny, Holgate, Gomes, Gordon, Davies, Branthwaite, Simms
3 years, 1 month ago
60 (-4) with 5 to go, off to a cracking start this year! 🙂