Aston Villa team news vs Walsall as Unai Emery names starting XI and squad
BirminghamLive brings you updates from Aston Villa's first pre-season friendly against Walsall at the Poundland Bescot Stadium
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has named a 23-man squad for the club's first friendly of the summer against Walsall at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Villa are without a number of first-team regulars due to their involvement in international matches over the summer. Emi Martinez, Robin Olsen, Tyrone Mings, John McGinn, Leon Bailey, Leander Dendoncker, Boubacar Kamara, Jhon Duran and Cameron Archer are all absent this afternoon, while Alex Moreno, Bertrand Troare, Jacob Ramsey and Philippe Coutinho are injured.
New signings Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans are both missing from the squad, but they will both jet out to the USA next week with the rest of the team. Returning loanees, Jaden Philogene, Morgan Sanson, Tim Iroegbunam, Aaron Ramsey, Ben Chrisene, Filip Marschall and Lamare Bogarde are set to play a part at the Bescot today.
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Villa return to the Bescot to face Lazio on Thursday, August 3 after their tour of the USA. Then, a couple of days later, Villa are in Valencia to complete their pre-season programme.
Emery will likely make wholesale changes at half-time for this afternoon's game at Walsall, and has started Marschall in goal, with a backline of Matty Cash, Diego Carlos, Josh Feeney and Lucas Digne. In midfield, Philogene, Iroegbunam, Luiz and Aaron Ramsey all start, while Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins lead the line.
Aston Villa XI vs Walsall: Marschall, Cash, Feeney, Diego Carlos, Digne, Philogene, Iroegbunam, Douglas Luiz, A. Ramsey, Buendia, Watkins.
Aston Villa subs: Viljami Sinisalo, James Wright, Ezri Konsa, Calum Chambers, Sanson, Chrisene, Bogarde, Seb Revan, O'Reilly, Travis Patterson, Omari Kellyman and Kadan Young.