Aston Villa head into the clash against West Ham United today full of confidence following their European heroics.
A 4-0 win over Ajax in midweek secured a quarter-final place for the Midlands side and Unai Emery will be desperate to lead his team to continental glory.
With the international break looming, taking all three points against the Irons will be his priority, although he will have to do it without his influential captain – John McGinn.
Who could replace the suspended John McGinn
During the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, McGinn was shown a straight red card for a tackle he made on Destiny Udogie, and it was reckless, to say the least.
The sending off means the Scot will not only miss the clash against West Ham, but also ties against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City, leaving Emery short in the heart of the midfield.
The Spaniard will need to rejig his team slightly heading into the Premier League clash this afternoon, and it could see Youri Tielemans deployed in his favoured central midfield berth.
Youri Tielemans’ stats this season for Aston Villa
Since arriving at Villa Park last summer, Tielemans has been forced to play in a wide range of positions.
Indeed, the £150k-per-week dynamo has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, left-winger and even as a centre-forward on four occasions this season.
The Belgian has scored twice and grabbed five assists across all competitions for Villa, but today could see him return to a central role in place of McGinn.
Goals
1
Assists
4
Key passes per game
0.5
Big chances created
3
Successful dribbles per game
0.4
The 26-year-old was hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2019 and while he has yet to hit peak form in the Midlands, there is no doubting his quality.
Last season, Tielemans was in fine form for the Foxes despite their relegation. He primarily played in the heart of the midfield and, when compared to his peers, he ranked second for big chances created (ten), fifth for key passes per game (one) and fourth for successful dribbles per game (0.8) in the Championship.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
These statistics prove how effective he can be from a deeper role and this could work wonders against West Ham, especially with Douglas Luiz showing a penchant for getting forward as much as possible this term.
Tielemans may not be a long-term replacement for McGinn in this role, but for the next three league matches, the midfielder could fill in fairly well.
A win against the Hammers is all that matters this afternoon as Villa continue their chase for a Champions League spot for the 2024/25 campaign.
Losing McGinn is undoubtedly a massive blow for Emery, but having built a squad that is capable of challenging on numerous fronts, it is clear he has options who can fill in the void left by the Scot.
The Belgian gem is the one who will make the cut today and if he delivers a solid display in London, he could cement his place alongside Luiz for the following two matches after the international break.
