Unai Emery has acknowledged that Aston Villa’s squad is feeling the effects of a tough schedule as they prepare for their upcoming match against Liverpool. The manager’s admission that his players are “tired” is worrying, especially after a run of three consecutive losses. Villa were eliminated from the EFL Cup by Crystal Palace, suffered a heavy defeat to Tottenham last weekend, and saw their unbeaten Champions League record ended by Club Brugge.
In contrast, Liverpool are in excellent form under manager Arne Slot, with the team continuing to break records. Their latest triumph came with a dominant win over Bayer Leverkusen, where Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick to demolish Xabi Alonso’s side, further solidifying Liverpool as the favorites for Saturday’s encounter with Villa.
“We need to play three matches a week if we want to challenge for European spots or trophies,” Emery explained. “Rest is important, but I believe we’ve recovered. We’re training in the afternoon and preparing for the match tomorrow. The players will be ready to go.”
After their midweek defeat, Villa are expected to make changes to the starting lineup. Ross Barkley and Matty Cash are both missing; Barkley has been absent for two games, while Cash picked up an ankle injury against Tottenham.
Liverpool Team News
Arne Slot confirmed that Diogo Jota is likely to return in the first or second week after the international break, following an absence since October 20. Harvey Elliott, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury for most of the season, is also set to return after the break. Liverpool are expected to field an unchanged lineup when they face Villa on Saturday.
