Mbaye starts as Aston Villa make seven changes vs Coventry

Aston Villa will be looking to put their disappointing Premier League start behind them when they travel to face Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Unai Emery’s side head into the match after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday, their third loss in the opening four league matches of the campaign.

Villa did, however, secure their first competitive victory of the season last week by beating Club Brugge 3-2 in the Champions League, and the Carabao Cup now provides Emery with an opportunity to rotate his squad while giving several players valuable minutes.

The expectation is that the Spanish manager could make seven changes to the side that started against Forest.

Bizot could replace Suzuki

Marco Bizot is expected to make his first start of the season in goal, with Zion Suzuki potentially given a rest.

The Dutch goalkeeper has already been used in cup competition previously and could be handed another opportunity as Villa begin their Carabao Cup campaign.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka could retain his position at right-back, particularly with Matty Cash having missed the Forest defeat because of muscle discomfort.

At centre-back, Taylor Harwood-Bellis could finally make his Aston Villa debut.

With Pau Torres currently sidelined and Victor Lindelof having started all six matches so far this season, the Coventry fixture could provide the perfect opportunity for Harwood-Bellis to step into the starting XI alongside Tyrone Mings.

Ruggeri set for opportunity

Matteo Ruggeri is expected to replace Ian Maatsen at left-back.

Maatsen is facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury against Forest. The latest reports suggest the problem is less serious than initially feared, but the defender is still expected to miss around six weeks.

Ruggeri therefore has an important opportunity to establish himself in the team while Maatsen recovers.

In midfield, Joao Gomes could return to the starting XI, while Lamare Bogarde may partner him as Emery looks to manage Boubacar Kamara’s workload.

Mbaye could earn first start

One of the biggest talking points could come in attack, where Ibrahim Mbaye is expected to be handed his first start for Aston Villa.

The 18-year-old impressed after coming off the bench against Nottingham Forest, showing enough to suggest that Emery could give him a longer run-out at Coventry.

Johan Manzambi is another player who could feature, but a place on the bench may be more likely given that he has only recently returned from a knee injury.

Emery will want to increase Manzambi’s minutes gradually rather than take unnecessary risks with the midfielder.

Nicolas Jackson could lead the attack, with regular game time potentially important for the striker as he looks to build confidence in front of goal.

John McGinn could operate from the right, while Mbaye would occupy the left side. Emi Buendia could retain his place in the No. 10 role.

Aston Villa predicted XI vs Coventry City

Bizot; Wan-Bissaka, Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Ruggeri; Bogarde, Joao Gomes; McGinn, Buendia, Mbaye; Jackson.

This would represent a significant reshuffle from the team that started against Nottingham Forest, while still leaving Emery with enough experience to compete seriously for a place in the next round.

The match could also be particularly important for players such as Harwood-Bellis, Ruggeri, Gomes and Mbaye, who will be looking to take advantage of their opportunity and put themselves firmly into Emery’s plans.

The Aston Villa News BR verdict

The Carabao Cup arrives at a useful moment for Villa.

With injuries beginning to affect the squad and several players needing minutes, Emery has every reason to rotate against Coventry. Mbaye looks particularly deserving of a starting opportunity after his encouraging cameo against Forest, while Harwood-Bellis could also use the match to make his case for more first-team involvement.

Most importantly, though, Villa need a convincing performance and a win. After taking just one point from their opening four Premier League matches, another disappointing result would only increase the pressure surrounding the team.

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