Aston Villa captain John McGinn is expected to be available ahead of the Europa League second leg against Nottingham Forest, with Amadou Onana ruled out.
As The Athletic revealed, McGinn missed Villa’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday due to a tight hamstring.
Villa had decided not to risk the Scotland international, with the hamstring issue a result of a heavy fixture schedule and with the second leg on the horizon, where Villa endeavour to overturn a 1-0 deficit, it was decided the 31-year-old would be rested.
“Tomorrow we are at Villa Park, but they (Forest) have the advantage, and for that reason, they are the favourites,” said Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “Tomorrow we have a huge opportunity.”
Having trained on Wednesday morning, McGinn’s return is a significant boost for Emery, as shown in the midfielder’s previous absence earlier this year. That absence coincided with Villa winning just three of the 10 matches without him. Once available, the side won six of the next eight matches.
Despite the boost of McGinn’s availability, Villa have been dealt a blow with it being confirmed that they will be without fellow midfielder Onana due to a calf injury sustained in the first leg.
Onana has been ruled out of Thursday’s game. (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Onana, who had been carrying a knee injury heading into the tie, was not fully fit, but due to the importance of the fixture, the 24-year-old played. The Belgium international reported a calf problem in the first half before coming off in the second half and subsequently missing the loss to Spurs.
“I am so, so motivated,” said Emery. “When I arrived three and a half years ago, it was a dream to play in a European semi-final. After five matches in the Premier League this season, I was worried about how we would finish the season. So, to finish the season like we are now is really something fantastic.”
“The season has been a rollercoaster, lots of ups and downs,” added defender Ezri Konsa. “Months where we went on a crazy run and others with dips in form. I just think we need to go back to basics.
“We know how good we are. Sometimes in football things aren’t going well and things aren’t going well, but we know how good we are.”