Buendía tipped to start at number ten as Emery weighs injury calls before Spurs trip

Unai Emery is expected to reshuffle his Aston Villa side for Saturday's early Premier League kick-off at Tottenham Hotspur, according to a predicted line-up published by Birmingham Live. The visit to north London follows Wednesday's 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City, and the outlet suggests several players rested in midweek will return.

Marco Bizot sustained a back problem during the first half against Coventry, though Birmingham Live notes that Japan international Zion Suzuki was always likely to start between the posts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Victor Lindelof is forecast to rejoin the central defence, potentially partnering Tyrone Mings, after Taylor Harwood-Bellis impressed in the cup tie having previously been left out of three consecutive matchday squads following his arrival from Southampton.

In midfield, Boubacar Kamara is expected to anchor things alongside João Gomes, provided the latter recovers from the discomfort that kept him out of the Coventry fixture. Should Gomes fail to recover, Ross Barkley would likely continue after featuring in midweek. Emery is due to address the media at Bodymoor Heath on Friday, where updates on both Gomes and Matty Cash — who returned to the squad on Wednesday — will be closely watched.

The most notable selection call highlighted by Birmingham Live involves Emiliano Buendía, who is tipped to operate as the central attacking midfielder. John McGinn reportedly shifted to the right flank against Coventry specifically to accommodate the Argentine, whose record against Spurs is described as strong. Ibrahim Mbaye has drawn praise for his performances against Nottingham Forest and Coventry since joining from Paris Saint-Germain, but the prediction favours Buendía's experience for this fixture.

George Hemmings could make a seventh consecutive start on the left wing, while Nicolas Jackson is favoured to lead the attack despite Tammy Abraham scoring twice off the bench in the cup. Villa head into the weekend looking to build momentum after their 3-2 Champions League win at Club Brugge earlier this month.