Aston Villa travel to face Manchester United on New Year’s Day and Dean Smith could make three changes for the trip to Old Trafford.
The Premier League confirmed that Tyrone Mings has returned from suspension and Ross Barkley confirmed that he’s recovered from injury, but time will tell if they both start on Friday.
Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause have forged an impressive partnership at centre-back, but Smith might break up the pair to include Mings against United.
Hause has started Villa’s last four Premier League games, but Konsa has been a regular all season barring a two-game absence in December, so it’s a difficult decision to make. Having Mings on the bench might be a fair solution.
Barkley should be fit to start on Friday, but his inclusion will mean an existing player has to miss out. That could be Bertrand Traore, so Anwar El Ghazi is an option to replace him on the right.
Smith could name a three-man midfield and push Jack Grealish from central attacking-midfield to the left-wing, leaving Ollie Watkins upfront.
Predicted XI vs Man Utd: Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa, Matty Targett; Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Ross Barkley; Anwar El Ghazi, Ollie Watkins, Jack Grealish
