Chukwuemeka and Bailey tipped to start for Aston Villa tonight amid wholesale changes – Agbonlahor
Gabriel Agbonlahor has tipped Aston Villa boss Dean Smith will make wholesale changes to the Aston Villa starting XI to face Barrow tonight.
The former Villa striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested 17-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka “will play” after some early team news.
As quoted by Birmingham Live, Smith confirmed on Friday (August 20th) that Villa pair Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins are sidelined for the League Cup tie.
Watkins is expected to return this weekend against Brentford, whilst Traore will remain out past the season’s first international break.
Jamaica international Leon Bailey has been struggling with a hamstring problem and missed Saturday’s victory over Newcastle.
Agbonlahor tipped the summer signing to come back into the squad alongside exciting youngster Chukwuemeka.
“You can already see the squad,” he told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“I think Matt Targett, Kourtney Hause, Axel Tuanzebe, Frederic Guilbert and Jed Steer will make up the backline.
“(Carney) Chukwuemeka will play. Maybe Bailey will come in and get some minutes.
“Villa’s B team is more than strong enough to win, so I’m sure he will rest some players.
“He won’t be keen to make people who played on Saturday even travel to the game. Expect to see a lot of those players stay at home.”
Villa will be hoping to emulate their efforts in the League Cup from two seasons ago.
They were defeated by Manchester City in the 2019/20 final.
Youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Jaden Philogene-Bidace will also be vying for a starting berth tonight, after a number of first-team cameo appearances in 2021.
In other news, Noel Whelan has backed Smith to sign ‘the final piece of the jigsaw’ this summer.