Aston Villa are preparing for Wednesday night's Carabao Cup trip to Coventry City amid questions over their defensive setup. Birmingham Live reported on Sunday that the team's difficulties without Pau Torres were laid bare during Saturday's match, which marked a third Premier League defeat in four outings.
The absence of the Spanish centre-back has left Unai Emery with a selection dilemma. According to the same report, the issue is made more acute by the fact that Youri Tielemans is no longer part of the squad, removing a key presence who previously helped stabilise the side when the back line was under pressure.
Emery is expected to rotate his starting eleven for the cup fixture as Villa chase only their second victory of the campaign. Birmingham Live suggests the trip to the Coventry Building Society Arena presents an ideal opportunity to hand Taylor Harwood-Bellis his first appearance for the club.
The midweek match arrives just before an extended international break, giving the management staff a chance to assess fringe players and ease the workload on regular starters. Villa will be keen to build momentum after a difficult run of results in the league.
Elsewhere in the club's wider orbit, former Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has reportedly dismissed speculation connecting the German side with a move for Jadon Sancho, who previously played for Villa. Meanwhile, Stiliyan Petrov recalled his disappointment at not receiving a contract offer from Roberto Di Matteo following his recovery from cancer.
