Aston Villa without seven players for Tottenham trip, Emery confirms

Aston Villa will be without at least seven players when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. Manager Unai Emery addressed the mounting fitness concerns during his media briefing on Friday afternoon, acknowledging the scale of the problem facing his squad before the 12:30 UK time kick-off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

According to Birmingham Live, Emery was candid about the depth of his issues, stating that the number of sidelined players made it hard to name them all. He confirmed that goalkeeper Marco Bizot, midfielder Amadou Onana and young defender Modou Keba Cisse are unavailable for the trip to north London.

The problems extend further through the spine of the team. Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen have both been ruled out, while summer arrival Leon Goretzka will also miss the fixture alongside Brian Madjo. The German midfielder only joined the club from Bayern Munich late last month.

There is better news elsewhere in the camp. Emery indicated that Matty Cash has recovered and is considered completely fit, while João Gomes is similarly expected to be ready for selection after their respective knocks.

Villa head into the game following a 3-1 League Cup victory over Coventry City on Wednesday, having also secured a 3-2 Champions League win at Club Brugge earlier in the month. Their league form, however, includes a home defeat by Nottingham Forest and a goalless draw at Hull City.

Tottenham arrive at the fixture dealing with their own medical concerns. Birmingham Live notes that Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain out with serious knee ligament damage, while Dejan Kulusevski continues his lengthy rehabilitation. James Maddison, Pedro Porro and Sandro Tonali have been passed fit by Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Mykhailo Mudryk is nursing an ankle issue sustained in training last week and will not feature for the hosts. Richarlison remains ineligible for Premier League matches, a situation De Zerbi described as a decision taken out of his hands.