Aston Villa will be without key players for the upcoming Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
Villa ready for important European night as Forest hold advantage
Tonight marks a decisive moment in Villa’s season.
A one-goal difference leaves Forest heading into the second leg of the Europa League semi-final at Villa Park, and Unai Emery’s side must overturn that lead if they are to maintain any chance of reaching their first European final since 1982.
Chris Wood’s penalty just after the hour mark at the City Ground gave Forest a 1-0 advantage from the first leg. This is a small but significant lead and means Villa need to either keep a clean sheet and score or win by at least two points on aggregate to force extra time.
Forest, who have gone from being relegation candidates to reaching the European semi-finals thanks to an exceptional run of form under manager Vitor Pereira, arrive at Villa Park with only a draw to secure a place in Istanbul on May 21st.
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Sky experts say their opponents cannot cope.
Signing Villa is a daunting proposition, made even more difficult by the confirmation of Amadou Onana’s absence.
Aston Villa without Amadou Onana for match against Nottingham Forest
The Belgium international suffered a calf injury during the first leg and has not trained since, but Emery confirmed on Wednesday that the defensive midfielder was “obviously unavailable” for Thursday’s match.
No timetable for his return was given, with Emery once again missing out on the “very classy” and “underrated” midfielder.
This is a separate issue to the muscle issue that ruled him out in defeat against Fulham earlier this month, and adds to concerns about the 24-year-old’s fitness.
Villa have endured a difficult few weeks.
Three defeats in their last three games across all competitions have dented their confidence, and Emery admitted in his pre-match press conference that injury and fatigue forced rotations had disrupted his team’s rhythm.
There is at least one boost.
John McGinn is expected to return after missing Sunday’s game against Tottenham with a hamstring strain.
The captain’s leadership and energy will be crucial for Villa to generate the intensity needed to reverse the draw.
However, concerns remain about the situation in the midfield without Onana.
Ross Barkley is ineligible as he is not included in Villa’s UEFA squad, while Boubacar Kamara remains sidelined. That leaves Lamarre Bogard and Douglas Luiz as the available options, but neither has been able to perform consistently in recent weeks.
Emery appreciated the assessment of the challenges ahead.
“Nottingham Forest have the advantage and are favorites going into this game,” he said.
“It’s a big achievement to get to the semi-finals. It’s very difficult to win a trophy. Even if you don’t win a trophy, it’s not a defeat.”
Ollie Watkins leads Villa’s Europa League this season with four goals, while Morgan Rodgers has been directly involved in five goals in six home appearances, underscoring how important the atmosphere at Villa Park and home advantage are for Emery’s side.
Meanwhile, Forest star Igor Jesus has contributed five away goals this competition and leads the table for shots and shots on target, a reminder of the threat Forest have away from the City Ground.
For Villa, this is more than just a game. This is your chance to write something historical.
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