Aston Villa mustered merely one point from their clash against Hull City in their last Championship fixture which ended in a goalless stalemate. Although Steve Bruce’s side are likely to grab a playoff spot, they cannot afford to be complacent and need to rack up the points.
On Tuesday, Reading are due to make a trip to the Villa Park and given that the Royals have been in stuttering form throughout the campaign, the Villans must aim to bag all three points against them.
Aston Villa Team News
Doubts continue to linger over Glenn Whelan’s chances of featuring in the upcoming fixture. Birkir Bjarnason might feature after being rested against Hull City following his international commitments with Iceland. Meanwhile, Andre Green is nearing a return from his hamstring injury.
Here is how we expect Bruce to roll out his starting line-up against Paul Clement’s troops.
Goalkeeper
There is no doubt that Sam Johnstone will get the nod to start under the bar yet again. The Manchester United loanee has collected 16 clean sheets from 39 appearances in the Championship, making 2.49 saves per game on an average, and thoroughly deserves to start.
Defence
Ahmed Elmohamady is expected to be picked ahead of Axel Tuanzebe in the upcoming fixture at right-back. Tuanzebe flattered to deceive against the Tigers and might have to sit on the bench. Alan Hutton was outstanding in the last league fixture as he showcased defensive resilience as well as attacking prowess and should start from the left-back slot.
James Chester and John Terry have developed admirable chemistry between themselves and are likely to partner each other at the heart of the defence of the Lions on Tuesday! These two have been pretty solid at the back. Terry’s leadership, in particular, will be crucial during the business end of the season.
Midfield
Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish might be teed up in the middle of the park. They need to gallop forward and try to carve openings for their side. To their right, we expect Robert Snodgrass to be pencilled in whereas to their left, Albert Adomah might be getting the green light to start.
Mile Jedinak could feature as the central defensive midfielder once again. He toils really hard and cushions the back line meticulously and his experience is going to be crucial in the fixture against Reading.
Attack
Up top, Jonathan Kodjia might lead the line. He got some game time under his belt against Nigel Adkins’ side and would be craving to make his first start after a long time.
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