After putting up a promotion fight and going close in the playoffs last season, Aston Villa will hope to push further this season and improve on their 4th place finish of last season.
Steve Bruce’s side will travel to KCOM Stadium on Monday to face Hull City for their opening fixture of the Championship. The tie promises to be an exciting one as both these sides are expected to challenge for promotion.
Although Bruce experimented with a 3-5-2 formation on a few occasions during the pre-season games this summer, he is expected to revert to a setup of 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2. It will be intriguing to see the style of play in the first few weeks as the team will want to make a statement.
The Villans had a good pre-season as they secured four wins in six games, with their last outing ending in a 2-1 win over Dynamo Dresden. James Chester and Jack Grealish are still at the club and the former could resume his role of captain this season.
Aston Villa Team News
Jonathan Kodjia is fit to play after missing the majority of the previous campaign due to his ankle injury. He scored three goals in four friendlies against Telford, Walsall, Burton and West Ham United.
Forwards Keinan Davis, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Scott Hogan aren’t going to be available as they are nursing injuries. Young attacker Callum O’Hare is also struggling with a knee injury and is expected to be absent.
PREDICTED ASTON VILLA LINE-UP TO FACE HULL CITY (4-1-4-1)
Goalkeeper
Jed Steer is expected to start between the sticks for Villa. The keeper didn’t have the best of outings against Dynamo Dresden in the pre-season game and needs to be on his toes against Hull.
Defence
Chester and Mile Jedinak are likely to operate as central defenders. Meanwhile, Ahmed Elmohamady is expected to start as the right-back, with Neil Taylor likely to start on the left.
Midfield
Birkir Bjarnason might be given the nod to start as the central defensive midfielder, with Albert Adomah, Grealish, Conor Hourihane and Andre Green set to complete the five-man midfield. A bulk of the creative impetus will fall on Grealish’s shoulders.
Attack
A fit Kodjia has the calibre to cause a lot of problems to the opposition defence and he is expected to lead the line. He’ll want to better his goal scoring tally from last season where he managed just one goal in 18 games.
