Aston Villa starting XI without Amadou Onana, Ezri Konsa and John McGinn amid Fulham injury crisis
Unai Emery faces an uphill struggle this week if he hopes to have several key players return from injury ahead of Aston Villa's Premier League visit to Fulham
Aston Villa arrive into a new week looking forward to the return of the Premier League, but know they face multiple challenges to make it a successful one.
Two top-flight draws either side of a Champions League win over Bayern Munich began to show what impact a relentlessly congested fixture schedule is going to have on Unai Emery's team. As well as long-term injuries he is waiting on, others have started to be sidelined as the weeks go by.
Against Bayern it was Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey who were removed from the action prematurely and then against Man United days later Ezri Konsa was forced off the field. John McGinn has also been kept out over the past month with a hamstring issue, potentially leaving the team down to its bare bones in specific areas.
Whilst Villa can be hopeful a number of these players are fit enough to make Saturday's trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, there is every chance the cards do not fall in their favour. So, Birmingham Live takes a look at what the worst case scenario may look like as a starting line-up this weekend...
Aston Villa XI v Fulham
Goalkeeper: Martinez
Villa have benefitted from the fact their goalkeeper has not had to make the several thousands of miles round trip to and from South America over the past week so can expect a rested Emi Martinez to show up on Saturday.
The Argentine was banned by FIFA from World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia this month due to punishment over 'offensive behaviour'.
Defence: Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne
Injury to Konsa is never ideal, but the timing of it has at least made Emery's task a great deal easier to handle.
Just weeks ago the Englishman was filling in at right back whilst Diego Carlos took up his central defensive role in order to accommodate Matty Cash's recent hamstring problem. Luckily he returned for the Man United stalemate before the break, just as Konsa picked up his problem.
This means Villa should not be forced to place the weight of a Premier League fixture on the shoulders of 18-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic - not that he couldn't handle it having started for Serbia again on Saturday - or 20-year-old Lamare Bogarde out of position.
Carlos can then take up the right central defensive role against the team that wanted to sign him during the summer transfer window, and then the left side of defence largely picks itself provided Pau Torres and Lucas Digne return from international duty unharmed.
This match looks like it will be too soon for Tyrone Mings, who is close but has been out for well over a year now.
Midfield: Barkley, Tielemans, Rogers
Emery is going to find it incredibly difficult to strike a balance in midfield without Onana in there to pull the strings. Some may believe in his absence it would be the ideal time to reintegrate Boubacar Kamara for his first senior involvement in eight months, but really caution is the best course of action in his regard.
Perhaps Villa supporters may see the Frenchman's name pop up on the bench, but a Premier League match may be too significant a step up in class compared to the Under-21s or friendly fixtures he has been using to get back to fitness over the international break.
And so, Emery could go with an unchanged midfield from the Man United draw - Ross Barkley and Youri Tielemans sitting deeper with Morgan Rogers linking the following forward trio.
Attack: Bailey, Watkins, Philogene
Ollie Watkins has been criminally underused over the international break, but Villa won't mind as he returns to Bodymoor Heath without any fresh problems and hopefully ready to pick up where he left off at club level.
The boss then has different options here to combat the injuries he is contending with. He could either stick with the formation he is used to, or bring Jhon Duran in alongside Watkins.
Batting that suggestion away immediately, Emery should stick with the tried and tested system because opposite to Martinez, Duran has actually travelled to South America and will have to deal with jet lag once back in England. He has also proven himself worthy of starting, but this isn't the time for it.
So sticking with two wingers, firstly Jaden Philogene can hopefully begin to convert positive performances into contributions towards goals. The returning £18m summer signing would start on the left flank, leaving the choice of Leon Bailey or Emi Buendia on the opposite side.
In this scenario the former has been selected, not based on form but entirely upon the fact he has played more minutes and is closer to the speed of the top-flight than his Argentine team-mate.
