Unai Emery teases Aston Villa selection plan and makes Wycombe admission
Aston Villa boss confirms that he'll be making changes to his team when they face Wycombe in the Carabao Cup
Unai Emery has confirmed that he'll be ringing the changes when Aston Villa go to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday for a third round Carabao Cup tie (8pm kick-off) - and admitting that the competition is perhaps the least of his priorities this season.
Villa have begun the new Premier League season in positive fashion with four wins from their opening five games, and they kickstarted their Champions League campaign with victory over Young Boys last week, and with Bayern Munich on the horizon.
They are entering the Carabao Cup at the third round stage as a side competing in Europe for the second consecutive season.
With Villa's focus fixed on marrying their Premier League and Champions League tilts, the Carabao Cup is understandably shifted towards the back of the minds of many managers in English football, not only Emery. To that end, he intends to make changes for the televised clash and it wouldn't be a surprise to see fringe players and perhaps one or two younger players handed an opportunity to get minutes under their belt.
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"It is clear the priority is the Premier League, 38 matches, through it we have to get our first objective, try and be in the top seven and be consistent in playing in Europe, that is the most difficult way through the Premier League," Emery said.
"The second most difficult is the Champions League and then we have to try to find something important in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. The FA Cup is maybe more important than the Carabao Cup, but the Carabao Cup is a trophy and we are going to compete.
"Of course, I am going to change some players but I am going to prepare a plan to win and to get a good way in this competition in case we can get through three matches and get an opportunity to fight for a trophy through it."
Already having to cope without Matty Cash, John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara, Villa are expected to field a side which allows the likes of Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and other senior stars a breather before the weekend's trip to Ipswich. Ian Maatsen, Jhon Duran, Ross Barkley and Emi Buendia are likely to be among those in contention for starts.