No Martinez, Buendia starts - Aston Villa starting XI vs West Ham predicted with six changes
Aston Villa host West Ham in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday and Unai Emery is expected to make changes given the hectic run of games ahead.
His side will play seven matches in a 22-day period, ending at the end of February against Wolves at Molineux. Next week, Villa face back-to-back away league games against Everton and Arsenal before they then head to Monaco for their penultimate Champions League league phase clash.
Villa will then entertain West Ham once again but this time in the league, before rounding off their league phase campaign against Celtic at Villa Park ahead of then taking on Wolves.
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Morgan Rogers is back available after missing the last match against Leicester City through a league suspension, but Jhon Duran remains out as he completes his three-match ban for violent conduct.
Ollie Watkins is therefore expected to lead the line with Villa lacking another striker in the squad. The forward scored from the spot and assisted against Brighton last week, but would have been frustrated not to have bagged his ninth league goal of the season in the win over Leicester City.
Leon Bailey bagged his first goal of the season against Leicester and could keep his place on the right considering Jaden Philogene is expected to leave on loan this month and also missed the last match through injury. John McGinn, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury and is sidelined for a period of weeks.
Jacob Ramsey could continue from the left after he played the majority of the game against Leicester following McGinn's injury, while Emi Buendia will be in the frame to make his third start of the season after impressing off the bench on Saturday. While Rogers is available, Emery may keep him fresh for next week's league games.
In midfield, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley could play in the double pivot in front of a defence made up of Lamare Bogarde, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Ian Maatsen.
Emery will give a team news update on Thursday, but Diego Carlos was injured for the last match and may not have recovered just yet. Bogarde, who is highly rated by Emery, last started in the draw with Crystal Palace after the November international break.
In goal, Robin Olsen could make his first start of the season. Emery used Joe Gauci for both EFL Cup games earlier this season, but the Australia international is the subject of multiple loan offers this month.
Villa predicted XI vs West Ham: Olsen, Bogarde, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Onana, Barkley, Bailey, Ramsey, Buendia, Watkins.
