da aviator aposta： Aston Villa are currently riding high in the Premier League following some excellent wins in the previous few weeks, but they will take a break from the top flight this weekend.
da premier bet： The Midlands outfit face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round this evening and Unai Emery will see the competition as an ideal chance to end Villa’s 28-year major trophy drought.
While the Spaniard will likely make a few changes, it may be limited to just three or four as he will be looking for the club to continue building momentum.
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ByEmilio Galantini Aston Villa team news vs Middlesbrough
The manager confirmed that Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Bertrand Traore, Youri Tielemans and Robin Olsen are all unavailable against Boro this evening while speaking to the media.
Having lost at this stage of the cup to Stevenage last season in what was one of the shocks of the third round, Emery will be looking to avoid a similar scenario in the north-east tonight.
Despite missing a few players, Villa welcome back Boubacar Kamara following his three-game suspension, and he should be going straight back into the starting XI against the Championship outfit after not being available against Burnley.
Boubacar Kamara’s statistics this season
The Frenchman has been an integral cog in Emery’s Villa machine this season and despite missing six matches across all competitions – four of those coming due to suspension – Kamara has started 22 of the 23 matches he has played in this term.
He has been particularly impressive in the Premier League and among the squad, he currently ranks fifth for accurate passes per game (46) along with ranking sixth for key passes per game (1.2), first for both tackles per game (2.3), and interceptions per game (1.1), which proves how important he is in midfield, especially from a defensive viewpoint.
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55
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Eight
His 90% pass success rate ensures he can dictate the game from deep, and with players such as John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Leon Bailey often playing alongside him in the midfield, he doesn’t need to push forward often.
Indeed, football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously lavished the 24-year-old during his previous spell at Marseille, labelling him a “high-quality midfield controller” and his performances this season have certainly justified such high praise.
The £150k-per-week gem also ranks in the top 10% for pass completion rate per 90 (88.3%) when compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues and this indicates that he not only is among the best at his current club, but correspondingly on the continent too.
Having not played since being sent off against Brentford midway through December, Kamara will undoubtedly be slightly rusty, yet the clash against second tier opposition represents an ideal chance for him to build up match fitness ahead of a league match against Everton next week.
His inclusion will give Villa the edge in what could turn into a nervy encounter, especially if they do not score in the first half.
With the chance to secure progression in a tournament that the club have not won since 1957, Emery will be doing everything he can to ensure the Midlands side make it through to the fourth round tonight.