Aston Villa go in search of another three points when they travel to Tyneside to face Newcastle United on Saturday in the Premier League.
Interim manager Aaron Danks will be in the dugout for the Villans one final time with Unai Emery set to take charge from November 1 following his appointment to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard last week. Villa recorded a brilliant 4-0 win over Brentford last time out in their first game post Gerrard’s departure.
Danks will be delighted to hand over the permanent reigns to Emery with a win over Newcastle United, who are in great form and sit 4th in the table.
Aston Villa Team News
Lucas Digne is in contention to face Newcastle after his recovery from an ankle problem that sidelined him for at least five weeks. Ludwig Augustinsson could also be back, having been scheduled for a late-October return by former manager Steven Gerrard.
Meanwhile, Diego Carlos (Achilles) and Boubacar Kamara (knee) are definitely out for Aston Villa.
Predicted Aston Villa Lineup vs Newcastle (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez’s form has been up and down so far this season. He will be hoping to bring some consistency to his game and keep a clean sheet on the road against Newcastle.
Defence
Aaron Danks could change his system from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 against Newcastle United. Ezri Konsa is expected to partner Tyrone Mings at the heart of Aston Villa’s defence, with Ashley Young and Matty Cash offering support from full-back positions in the Aston Villa lineup.
The Villa backline must ensure defensive stability to keep a thrilling Newcastle attack led by Callum Wilson at bay. Danks expects Calum Chambers to be available for selection from the bench.
Midfield
Against Newcastle away, Danks could be enticed to have another body in midfield to bring more control. This could see John McGinn start alongside Leander Dendoncker and Douglas Luiz in the Aston Villa lineup, who are primed to feature in midfield after their impressive showings at the weekend.
Dendoncker should hold fort in the Villa midfield, with Luiz and McGinn operating as two No.8s. Morgan Sanson and Jacob Ramsey could get involved at a later stage of the game at St. James’ Park.
Attack
A brace from Danny Ings against Brentford makes him a shoo-in to lead the Villa attack on Saturday. Having said that, Ings needs to be more proactive in and around the box while linking play with his fellow forwards.
Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey are likely to keep their places in the Aston Villa lineup for their pace and flair. The three of the attackers have to bring their A-game to the fore against a well drilled Newcastle outfit who are striving to break into the upper echelons of the Premier League standings.