Aston Villa team news: Emery set to recall four key players against Fulham

Aston Villa could have several key changes ahead of their Premier League clash against Fulham on Saturday as Unai Emery aims to put his best team out.

Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres and Boubacar Kamara are all expected to be included in the starting XI at Villa Park, giving Emery a real confidence boost having suffered a disappointing exit in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth.

The 3-0 loss means Villa are out of the competition. Emery made a number of changes to give younger players a chance, including Leon Goretzka, who started for the first time for the club.

However, attention now turns to the Premier League. Villa have picked up 10 points from their last 4 games and may be able to keep this form going with a more familiar team against Fulham.

Emery looks to restore Villa’s defensive stability

The expected returns of Cash, Lindelof and Torres will add depth to Villa’s defensive options.

Having Cash back will add more options to the right of the team, while Lindelof and Torres can add more consistency to the central defenders. Kamara is also expected to return, which will add another experienced midfielder to Emery’s squad.

Despite this, Villa will still have to deal with a few injuries. Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all still unavailable for Emery.

Considering the issues Villa had against Bournemouth last time out, conceding three times and failing to get back into the game, there is a lot to think about for Emery ahead of the Fulham clash.

A stronger starting line-up would give Villa an opportunity to put that performance behind them and continue their recent league progress.

Goalkeeper cover becomes a concern for Villa

Whilst positive in terms of expected returns, Villa have questions to answer surrounding their goalkeeping options.

Marco Bizot has come under scrutiny after his mistake against Bournemouth, but there are questions to answer in terms of longer-term options.

Another name mentioned is Zion Suzuki. However, if he were to play for Japan in the Asia Cup there would be an issue during the winter. He could miss up to six games in January and February.

This could mean Villa will have to think about their options ahead of the tournament. If they lose a possible goalkeeper during a busy time, it will mean Emery will need enough cover.

The main thing now will be to focus on Fulham. Villa will be hoping to get back on track after the cup disappointment with the return of four key players.