Aston Villa manager Unai Emery shared an update on his squad’s fitness ahead of tomorrow night’s Europa Conference League clash with Olympiacos, ruling two players out of the fixture.
A European semi-final awaits Aston Villa, as Unai Emery’s side prepares to battle Olympiacos over two legs for a spot in the Europa Conference League final.
The Villans will hope to put on a strong display in front of their supporters at Villa Park tomorrow night, in a bid to take a strong lead with them to Greece to avoid a repeat of the drama in the quarter-final tie with LOSC Lille.
In the first leg, Villa secured a 2-1 victory over the French side, a scoreline that didn’t prove to be enough as Paulo Fonseca’s side found their groove in the second leg, forcing the game to extra time and penalties.
It’s set to be a blockbuster fixture in Birmingham under the lights, with the boss having several decisions to make when it comes to selection, admitting that two players will be out of action.
Unai Emery confirms Alex Moreno and Youri Tielemans will be out for Olympiacos clash
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night’s fixture, Emery shared the latest news on who will miss out on the first leg, with Youri Tielemans and Alex Moreno joining Villa’s injury list.
As relayed by journalist Matt Maher, the Villa boss explained that while the duo are ‘progressing well’, they won’t be fit in time for Thursday’s game, ruling them ‘out’ of the contest.
Moreno and Tielemans join long-term absentees Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Boubacar Kamara on the sidelines, with Emi Martinez also in the treatment room, although the Argentine is suspended for tomorrow’s battle.
Unai Emery will have some decisions to make ahead of Olympiacos clash
While the news of Tielemans and Moreno’s absence won’t come as much of a surprise, the pair will be sorely missed by Villa’s squad, with both having the ability to impact the game.
The Belgian in particular has been instrumental to how Emery’s midfield ticks in the absence of Kamara, with his ball-playing prowess and power to dictate the tempo leaving a void that must be filled.
READ MORE: Aston Villa handed Youri Tielemans injury timeframe
In terms of Moreno, the Spaniard’s continued absence leaves only Lucas Digne as Villa’s available left-back, a risky scenario considering the Frenchman’s own injury record and the influx of critical games that the Midlands club face.
Still, it’s positive news to hear that the duo are progressing and could soon return to the squad, with there still hope that they will have a part to play in the second leg of the tie.
The post Unai Emery rules two Aston Villa players 'out' of Olympiacos clash, but they are 'progressing well' appeared first on Aston Villa News.